The Hero's Brotherhood: The Awakening
by PurplePegasus
Summary: He just can't get back into the ranch life and of coarse, when he says something about it, Link would jinx himself. Is Fate trying to tell him something?
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, this is my first story on here so I would appreciate reviews! Thanks

Disclaimer: Though I wish otherwise, I do not own Zelda or anything that came from it.

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Sunlight poured through the single window as the sun rose high over the trees, chasing away the darkness of night. Even as light filled the room, the house's single inhabitant continued to snore loudly. With an arm and leg slung over the side of his bed, as if he had barely missed the floor while heading there.

This just seemed to aggravate the woman standing at the bottom of his house even more.

"Link! Get up you lazy bum! It's past noon!" she shouted, though the only reply she got was some moaning and a few grunts here and there.

"Fine, be like that…though I'm sure Talo would love a chance to come get you up…in fact, there he is now," she said as a loud battle cry came from somewhere near the house.

"Gaaahhhh, I'm up! I'm up! Jeeze Ilia, I just saved the world and I can't even get a few extra hours of sleep? Is that really so much to ask?" said Link as he attempted to pull himself out of bed.

"Not if you _really _had just saved the world, but since that had happened, what, three months ago? Well, then it's time for our favorite hero to get his butt up and start his chores," said Ilia. She laughed while Link sleepily climbed his way down the latter to the bottom floor.

Link just snorted and then shuffled his way over to the other side of the room, opening his dresser door and pulled out his hero's tunic. He slowly ran his fingers over the side, where the seams were coming out, as well as the many holes that were patched up on it.

He laughed softly, "Man, this thing has definitely seen better days, but I'll never get rid of it," he said, then pulled off his night shirt and replaced it with a white under shirt. Then he pulled his tunic over it. He wrapped his worn out belt around his waist, securing it, then pulled on his equally worn out boots.

_I'm forgetting something..._

He stood there for a moment before snapping his fingers with a grin.

_Oh my cap! Where did I put that sucker? _

He began shuffling his cloths around looking for it.

"Looking for this?" asked Ilia while holding up his cap with a smirk. Link shook his head, giving her a pointed look. Link walked over to her and snatched it out of her hands.

"I should have known. Only you would try and make me rush to work but delay me at the same time," said Link as he stuffed his cap on his head. She laughed as he shuffled his way back to the corner of the room and grabbed his saddle, a blanket, and gear. He stopped, glancing almost sadly over his stuff, but shook his head and carried them to the door.

"Link…Are you alright? You've been kinda withdrawn lately. Is there something on your mind?" asked Ilia as Link began struggling to open the door without dropping anything.

"Huh? Withdrawn? I never noticed…Well, I can't think of anything that's bothering me," grunted Link as he barely gets the door open. He accidentally bumped it closed again with his saddle causing Ilia to roll her eyes as Link proceeded to curse at his door. Ilia then walked in front of him and opened the door then stood to the side as he lugged his stuff past her.

"You know, you don't have to be so stubbornly independent anymore Link, there are people here that you can rely on. I mean, there was once a time where you would ask me to open that door before you even got to it. But then again, you always did like doing things the hard way. Maybe that just escalated when you began the whole Great Hero thing?" said Ilia as Link just threw his stuff over the side of his house, which landed in front of his sleeping horse Epona, startling her awake, causing her to snort and glare up at her master.

"Sorry girl…," said Link sheepishly to Epona.

"You can't fool me Link! You seemed to settle into this weird depression the moment you got here and it just seems to get worse!" exclaimed Ilia, then she sighed.

"I'm just worried ok? Out of all of us, you're the one that deserves happiness the most, but it seems that something just keeps weighing you down…" said Ilia as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Link gave her a small smile, "Thanks Ilia, you always seem to know more about me then I do. I guess…that after all that saving the world business, all those long nights spent trying to crack a puzzle in a temple, killing monsters, protecting the innocent. Even all those ridiculous fights Midna and I used to get into! I mean there was a time when she hurled me into Lake Hylia just to get the last piece of bacon! Man, I didn't realize how much I'd miss all that," said Link as he stood near the ladder leading down from his house.

"Well, maybe you just need a refresher. Maybe you should visit Renado or Ralis? Though father probably won't like that you'd be leaving, but I'm sure we could come up with a reason. And besides, I'm sure you'll get a taste of adventure with either of them because something always seems to happen around them. Or maybe they happen because your there?" Ilia laughed as she jumped out of his reach just when he took a swipe at her.

"Oh hush you, it's not my fault if mayhem just loves to stalk me," said Link, then swung around when he felt something suddenly thrown at his head.

"Are you guys gonna stand there and talk all day? You could be doing something useful like teaching me how to fight with a sword!" shouted a young brown haired boy.

"Talo! You little turd! I swear…when I get down there…"grumbled Link as he started climbing down the ladder, but Ilia grabbed his shoulder. He was about to protest until he saw the smirk on her face.

"Link…I bet the children would love to visit Luda or Ralis, and who better to take them then the Great Hero?" said Ilia, still smirking as she watched three other children come and join Talo.

"You're a genius Ilia! Man, with their combined whining power I'm sure they'd convince Bo to let them visit both Kakariko and Zora's Domain!" said Link excitedly.

"Hello? Am I talking to a wall here? Why are you guys still standing there?" shouted Talo.

"Talo, that's not very nice…they were probably talking about something important…" said a blonde short haired boy.

"Humph, what could possibly be more important then sword fighting Colin?" snorted Talo, as he faced Colin and put his hands on his hips. Colin folded his arms, frowning, and was about to reply when a brown haired girl stomped her foot and pointed at Talo.

"Why do you always have to start something Talo? The world doesn't revolve around you! So stop acting like it does!" the brown haired girl shouted at him.

"I never said it did Beth! Stop getting your panties in a bunch! Jeeze, I think you're the one that acts like the world is revolving around them!" shouted Talo just as Colin stood in between them, trying to stop the fight that was breaking out.

"As amusing as it would be to watch the immature display of displeasure proceeding here, I think I would much rather do what we came here for so we aren't grounded…again. So Link, Bo says you better have a good reason for being late…again. And Ilia, your father wanted to talk to you about something, mostly likely the same thing that he wanted to talk to Link about before he realized he was late…again…." said the youngest child, then turned around and walked back into town.

"Humph, I guess Malo is right. It was totally boring having to stand in that corner all day," said Talo, as he stomped after his younger brother.

"Oh please, it was not all day. It was like, less then an hour," argued Beth.

"Was not," said Talo. They continued to fight all the way into town. Colin watched them go, then turned toward Link's house, sighing. The child then did a double take when he noticed that Link wasn't anywhere near Ilia, who was climbing down the ladder. Colin walked up to the ladder, about to ask Ilia where Link was until said man came barreling around the corner of his house, and into town.

"Didn't even bother to put on all the crap he dragged out here. Oh well, I'm sure Epona will remind Link of the fact that she doesn't like him riding bare back for long." said Ilia as she got off the ladder. Colin laughed and they both jogged after him.

Link was cantering through town when Bo suddenly stood in front of him, blocking the way onto the bridge. Quickly stopping Epona, Link hurriedly tried thinking of a good excuse for why he was late for the fourth time that week.

"Bo listen-" but Link was silenced by a wave of Bo's hand.

"We'll talk about you being late later. You get on up there and start herding those goats. Goddess only knows what they'll do with only Fado watching them…Oh, and come see me afterward, alright? Got something to talk to you about," said Bo, then he walked past Link and up to Rusl, Link's adoptive father, and started a conversation.

"Hmmmm…" muttered Link, pondering what Bo could possibly want to talk to him about. He was about leave for the ranch when he heard Ilia and Colin calling out to him. Link clicked to Epona and she started to walk casually forward. Both Ilia and Colin walked on either side of Epona once they caught up.

"Link, I was wondering…if you have the time…can you…maybe teach me how to ride a horse today? I mean, um, like after your chores?" asked Colin as he looked sheepishly up at Link.

"Hmm, you don't have a horse yet…and Epona hasn't liked anyone but Ilia and Zelda so far…Well, I think she wouldn't mind if I was up here with you, so...Hey I have an idea! You want to ride in front of me while I herd the goats? I guess I could give you a few pointers while you're up here." said Link, thoughtfully.

"Yeah! Can I please?" said Colin excited. Laughing, Link reached down and grabbed a hold of the back of Colin's shirt and with a heave, pulled the boy on top of Epona. She snorted at the sudden shift in weight, but didn't seem to mind. Colin moved around until he was comfortable and then gave a thumbs-up to Link. Smiling Link waved to Ilia then kicked Epona into a gallop all the way up to the ranch.

Hours later, Ilia was sitting on the front steps of her house waiting for Link and Colin to get back. She looked up when she heard the excited yells of Colin as they came cantering back into town.

"That was amazing! Can we do it again tomorrow? Please?" begged Colin as Link dismounted.

"Tomorrow? Most likely. _When _depends if my lovely alarm clock wakes me up in time," said Link as he gave Ilia a bright smile, then dodged the punch she threw at him. Link reached up and helped Colin dismount.

"You want to walk her back to my house?" asked Link as he held out Epona's reins. Colin clapped his hands rapidly together, nodding his head. Colin grabbed a hold of the reins and sprinted back to Link's house with Epona trotting beside him.

"Be careful! Don't run so fast! Jeeze, is this what it's going to be like to have kids?" said Link as he and Ilia walked back to his house.

"No way, it's going to be way worse with your kids. I can't even imagine how much trouble a pair of mini Links' would get into. Probably start a revolution, find a new country or something equally as drastic," said Ilia, laughing when Link put her in a head lock right when they past the gates leading into town.

Colin had already tied Epona up, but turned around when he heard a loud thud behind him. He laughed, running up to the pair rolling around in the grass near Link's house. Link had Ilia pinned underneath him, until she gave a shift kick to his groin, causing him to cringe and loosen his hold. Ilia used this distraction to shift her body weight and flip him over, so she was the one pinning him now.

"You cheated," said Link completely still now.

"What? Haven't learned how to counter that after the many years we've known each other? Didn't the monsters ever try that move before?" Asked Ilia, as she stayed perched on Link's chest.

"No, they were more impressive when it came to trying to take me out; like drowning me in poisoned water, crushing me with giant pillars of ice, electrifying me with long jelly like tentacles or my personal favorite, reliving most of my previous battles with the weirdo of a second to last boss as the main enemy. But going by their success rate, perhaps they should have just tried kicking me in the balls. That probably would have been more effective then anything they tried throwing at me," said Link, sounding completely nonchalant as he used a finger to list each one.

"What? How can you be so calm about all that?" exclaimed Ilia, while Colin looked worried.

"Well…when I first began my journey, I got pretty freaked out by a lot of things, but after awhile I got used to the whole continuous epic battles thing. I mean, it just wouldn't be the same without the daily near death experiences," said Link as he put his hands behind his head, propping it up. Ilia slid off his chest to sit at his left, while Colin sat on his right.

"But that's horrible! Weren't you scared?" asked Colin worriedly. Link thought about it.

"You know, if Midna hadn't been there for me, I'm sure I'd still be trying to find my way out of the Forest Temple or wandering aimlessly through the Sacred Grove because of that damn skull kid. But, strangely enough, I wasn't all that scared. Well, I admit that there was a few times where I all but jumped out of my skin, but over all, it was…almost like routine, like I've done this kind of thing before, but that can't be true right? I'm pretty sure I've never done anything even remotely epic like that," said Link as he scratched his head.

"Yeah, that's never happened, and I would know since I've been pretty much by your side since our…third birthday? I think that's right…yeah, it was because that was the year that Rusl freaked out because you somehow got on top of the water wheel, and jumped in the pond. We met right after he started yelling at you," said Ilia, laughing at the memory.

"I don't remember that, but I think I remember the yelling…"said Link.

"I don't see how. Rusl was always yelling at you, and for good reason. You were always such a fearless little imp, always getting into trouble," said Ilia. Link just rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you weren't no angel yourself you know, or were you not the one that shaved Link the cat?" asked Link, raising an eyebrow.

"You dared me to!" exclaimed Ilia.

"You still did it! With the adults having a party in your house too! Who's the fearless little imp now huh?" said Link, laughing as Ilia pounced on him again. After a good ten minutes of Link making sure Ilia stayed at a safe distance from his nether regions, which was difficult now that Colin was jumping on Link's back, she finally stood up and dusted herself off.

"It's getting late. Colin you should go to bed. Come to think of it, Link you should hit the hay too. Maybe that will help prevent your _lovely alarm clock _from dumping a bucket of water over your head in the morning," said Ilia as she waved a finger at Link. Link smirked, giving her a thumbs-up from his position on the ground. He then engulfed Colin in a bear hug, making the child look even younger. Colin didn't seem to mind at all. He just hugged back with as much gusto. Colin finally detached himself from Link, walked to the gate leading into town and stopped to waiting for Ilia. Link picked Ilia up and swung her around causing her to giggle. She ruffled his hair and then turned and joined Colin at the gate.

"See you tomorrow Link!" shouted Colin. Ilia waved and they both turned around and walked back into town. He smiled to himself and sighed. He almost wished Ganon was still around just so he'd still have the thrill of adventure happening every day. _Almost_. It was not worth the devastation he'd surely bestow on the land. So with another sigh Link climbed up the ladder to his house and went inside to prepare for bed. Hopefully his whole body would make it onto the bed this time. He was still feeling the after affects of sleeping in that awkward position all night long.

Hours later, Link awakes to a noise coming from the bottom of his house. Still half asleep he looked up toward his window and saw light coming through it.

_It's morning already? Jeeze, felt like five minutes..._

A familiar clanking sound then reached his ears, making him instantly awake.

_That isn't Ilia. _

By instinct Link grabbed the sword that was always beside his bed and threw the covers off. He'd heard that sound enough times to know what it is.

_I hope I'm wrong though._

Crouching near the ladder Link peered over the edge only to have a sword land not more than an inch away from his face. Startled, Link jerked away from the ladder and fell backwards against his bed.

When he looked up again a Stalfos was pulling itself up onto his cramped sleeping area.

_This is not the best of places to be fighting one of these bony bastards. _

Link rolls to the side to avoid the stab that was aimed at his chest. Link, thinking quickly, jumped on his bed unsheathing his sword as he went. Link jumped over the slash that followed him. Gripping his sword tightly Link ducks as another slash sails right over his head. Using the momentum he jumped as high as he possibly could with his sword held high and with a growl he bashed the blade against the Stalfos's head, easily cracking the surface.

It stumbled backward from the heavy blow. Not wasting a second, Link took a step back and propelled himself at the Stalfos. He brought his feet up and kicked it with all his might. This caused it to tumble backwards and over the edge.

The loud crashing he heard as it hit the ground easily told the Hero that it had brought others down with it. Not wishing to start an all out war in his small house, Link turned to hurriedly climb up the latter beside his bed. He reached the top level and climbed out of his window and pulled himself onto his roof.

Link's eyes widened in horror at the sight he saw were he stood. Ordon was set ablaze, the flames reaching high into the sky.

_The light reflecting in my window had been from the fire…_

Fury caused adrenaline to pump through his vines. He sheathed his sword and broke into a run. Link leapt from his roof to the tree standing next his house; using the branches to aid his descend. Link almost reached the ground when he noticed the creatures crowding in front of his house. They completely blocked a clear route into town.

Narrowing his eyes, Link unsheathed his sword again then brought it to his side. Focusing power into the blade he leapt from the branch he was perched on. Link raised his sword high above him. With a mighty battle cry he slammed it into the ground just as he landed. The power surge blasted all nearby creatures away from him. Link sprinted pasted the gates with a feral look within his eyes.

_Whoever did this will pay! _


	2. Chapter 2

Link charged into town, slashing at any monsters that got in his way. He ran past the store growing worried with each step. He hadn't seen any of the villagers yet.

_They could have gotten away before the fight broke out._

He hoped they did but if it came to the worst, he'd rather they were captured then dead. He suddenly heard a shrill scream from behind him. Sliding to a stop in front of the bridge he swung around to see Beth cowering against a wall. Colin and Talo were fighting with wooden swords in an attempt to keep her safe from a pair of Bulblin's while Malo was standing on top of the platform above the pumpkin patch using a slingshot to shoot seeds at the monsters within range.

_How did I miss them?_

He saw more Bulblins coming from the river and even more came pouring through the gates. Link was about to rush to their aid when someone called his name. Turning towards the ranch Link saw Bo and Rusl trying desperately to fight off a horde of Bokoblins. They were backed against the fence overlooking the stream next to Rusl's house. Behind them, Ilia was standing protectively in front of Uli who was clutching her newborn child to her chest.

Torn, Link hears Ilia yelling for him to help the kids. He knew they need help the most. With a pained expression, Link charged at the Bulblins that were surrounding the children. Suddenly, Link felt something wrap around his legs. Whatever is was, it effectively tripped him and made him drop his sword.

He immediately started kicking, trying to get it off. He glanced quickly at the kids and cursed. Link had noticed that Malo had Bulblins cornering him on top of the platforms. With a snarl, Link hurled his body weight up in the air. While still having his legs grasped, he pushed with his hands and flipped himself over landing perfectly. He stomped his feet into the ground in attempts to crush whatever had a hold of his ankles.

This seemed to work but as he looked around him he saw nothing there.

_What? Where did it go?_

He immediately thought nothing of it as Beth's screams filled the air. He rushed toward them again and picked up his sword on the way. But suddenly, he was tripped again. Having had a firm hold of his sword this time, he kicked wildly. He tried looking for whatever was gripping him, _but_ _nothings there!_

_What the hell is going on?_

As he tried to fight whatever was on him, he suddenly remembered something. The invisible rats that had been in the Arbiter's Grounds! But whatever these things were, they didn't seem to have a particular shape but he still felt them moving.

_Well, I can't see these things, but maybe the same tactics will work on them._

So he began rolling and kicking, jerking every which way. This shook most of them off but he had more still on him when something else suddenly appeared in front of him.

_What in the world? Did they just come out of the ground? Damn it! Well at least I can see these bastards._

Link got a good look at it once it stalked closer. It also didn't seem to have a particular shape. Yet, unlike the little ankle biters he was dealing with now, this thing had what looked like sharp claws and gleaming red eyes. It was completely black with a hollow body. It seemed to make a strange growling noise.

_Alrighty then, a shadow monster that wants to eat my face. Perfect. _

It cut through his thoughts when it lunged at him. Link _would _have rolled behind it and giving it a good stab from behind, but those _damn ankle biters _seemed to have gotten smarter! They grabbed a hold of him and would not move until he tried to move so he didn't realize they were there until it was to late. It frustratingly screwed over his back stabbing plan and made him trip again. Now he had more of them on his legs and when he tried to run again, he fell flat on his face.

He struggled to get on his feet. As he glanced up, he saw that more shadow monsters rising from the ground. Link cursed. He risked a glance at the children again and gasped.

_Where are they?_

There was no sign of them. Growling, Link dragged himself slowly to his feet and spread them apart to balance himself. He brought his sword to his side and focused his energy. With all his might, Link unleashed it with a mighty spin as he jumped as high as the ankle biters would let him. The energy wave blasted whatever was on him right off. He spun around and looked with a dangerous gleam in his eye. But unlike Link had anticipated, the shadow monsters hadn't charged at him when he was crouched on the ground.

_They avoided my great spin attack? These bastards are smart too?_

He made a wild dash where he had last seen the children. He focused his energy again and unleashed it when he reached the pumpkin patch. This seemed to be effective with the ankle biters but Link painfully found out it wasn't as effective for the shadow monsters. They lunged at him whenever he finished his great spin, catching him off guard. None of the other creatures went anywhere near him. It was as if they knew they would get their ass's whopped if they did.

Without a shield Link was able to be more agile, but as the shadow monsters started growing in number he started to miss that extra protection. He even tried some of his other attacks. But those just ended up with him getting jumped when he missed them when they'd sunk back into the ground or ganged up on him.

_None of my tactics are working on these guys and I can't even see half of them! Damn it! It's like they're trained to fight me!_

He hadn't seen the kids anywhere and now he lost sight of the others as while.

_Goddess…am I too late?_

He desperately tried searching for them, but it got harder as the enemies grew in number. They had soon completely surrounded him. Losing himself, Link began getting reckless. He began throwing wild slashes and jabs everywhere.

He was just about to throw a vertical slash at one of the shadow monsters when one of them caught a hold of his arm from behind, its claw digging into it. Shouting out in pain, Link tried twisting away from it but others started rising right from under him. They grabbed anything they were closest to with there sharp claws.

Link screamed in pain when the one gripping his sword arm stabbed it straight through with another claw, causing him to drop his blade. The group of shadow monsters lifted him as if they were offering a sacrifice. Link grunted in pain when one of them clawed its way onto his chest. It raised its sharp claw, preparing to stab him through the heart and with his limbs pinned in place Link could do noting to stop it.

_Goddess…I'm going to die…_

Even though he was terrified, he refused to show it. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. So he just glared at the beast as it hissed at him.

_If I'm going down, I'm doing so with dignity. You'll get nothing from me you murderous sons of bitches!_


	3. Chapter 3

Wow! Thanks for the reviews guys! They really drove me to finish this chapter. They should be getting longer after this too, so that's something to look forward to.

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The shadow monster clutched to Link's chest let out a shriek that sounded to him like it had dragged dozens of nails across a board. The evil creature's claw came down, seeking his blood.

Link instinctively tensed, closing his eyes and waited for the inevitable…but instead of a sharp claw through his chest like he had anticipated, the shadow monster jerked back from him. It tumbled over the side of him and let out another scream like it was in pain. _…What?_

He opened his eyes just in time to see several flashes of silver and the shadow monsters surrounding him started to panic as they fell one by one. Looking around Link saw what was causing the chaos.

_Are those…daggers? But where are they coming from?_

Link spun his head in every direction, looking for the source of the daggers. But he couldn't find one.

_They seem to be coming from somewhere near the gates. But they just keep flying from no where!_

The shadow monsters holding his feet suddenly fell, releasing them. Taking advantage of this, Link started to kick wildly. He easily dislodged the ones below him.

_Now for the bastards holding my arms…_

Link was running on adrenaline once again and began using every ounce of it. He twisted his body so he was awkwardly facing the shadow monsters that were holding his arms in place. The move released his right arm and with a quick punch, was able to free his other arm. He then hissed and stumbled back wincing.

_Note to self…never punch something with a gorged out arm. _

With a deep breath, he made a sharp turn and made a wild dash over the bridge near Ilia's house. He began to head toward the ranch, trying to avoid the shadow monsters as he went.

_Everyone must have retreated to the ranch! Might have even grabbed the kids while I wasn't looking. I was busy enough not to notice it. _

He barely made it past Ilia's house when he felt a familiar shapeless thing attach itself to his ankles and tripping him yet again. His left arm shot out in front of him, causing him to narrowly miss landing on his injured arm.

_This is getting old…_

Suddenly he heard a loud snap to his left. The sound was followed by an extremely bright flash off light, which made him stunned for a few seconds. This seemed to be the same issue with the ankle bitters for they also suddenly froze in place.

Link noticed the oncoming shadow monsters at the same time someone suddenly _appeared_ next to him. They immediately took a crouched position. Link blinked a few times.

_These shadow things are screwing with my mind, they must be!_

The person crouched before him threw at lest five daggers, seemingly all at the same time towards the closest approaching shadow monsters. The daggers quickly dispatched the front line. The person then spun around and threw what he now saw was a deku nut at him again. Link was stunned again but so were the ankle bitters that he somehow forgot about. The person then _disappeared _only to _reappear _crouching over him with a foot on either side of his waist. With both hands pressed against Link's back, the person quickly supported their body weight while kicking the stunned ankle bitters off him.

Then the next thing the hero felt was the sensation of being pulled through a narrow passageway.

The sight of a burning Ordon overran by shadow monsters was suddenly replaced with trees. Link was still sprawled on the ground with the mysterious person crouched over him. But this changed quickly. The person stepped aside offering a hand.

"Come Hero, we must make haste. It is not safe here," said his savior. Link took the offered hand and got up. His arm throbbed painfully as he pressed his left hand against the gapping hole. The stranger pulled a moist white cloth from a pouch.

"Put this against it. I will bandage your wound properly once we reach a safer place," said his savoir as Link took the offered cloth and pressed it gently against his wound. His savoir then turned and headed up the path but not before Link noticed bright red eyes. They shone out from within the folds of a white shawl wrapped around the stranger's face.

Link followed, taking a good look at his savoir now. He saw the stranger wore a tight suit of mostly dark blue. The white facial shawl and material in front of the suit beheld a single red eye with a tear dropping from the bottom.

With such a feminine body, Link guessed his savior was female.

"Thanks for saving my ass out there," said Link sincerely, "It's not very often I meet a girl who can kick ass like that. Oh, I'm Link by the way," trying to keep up with the stranger's fast pace. The stranger sighed, as if annoyed.

"I am Sheik. It is my duty now to keep you safe…and I would appreciate it if you would not call me a girl," said Sheik.

"Why? That's nothing to be ashamed of," said Link completely clueless, even as Sheik turned to give him a quick glare before going back to scanning the environment.

"I would agree with you…if I had been a girl," said Sheik as he rounded a corner and put up his hand, signaling Link to stop. Link flushed bright red.

"Goddess! I'm sorry! It's just that you have such a feminine looking body! I mean…ah…um…that is…ah…!" Stuttered Link before Sheik shushed him.

"It is fine Hero. I'm quite used to it by now…" said Sheik as he inspected the bridge before him.

_Wait the bridge?_

Link then noticed where they were. They stood right before the bridge leading into Faron Woods.

_We pasted Ordona!_

"Wait! We pasted Ordona, it can help us! Maybe even tell us what's going on," said Link. He turned around and headed for Ordon Spring but Sheik grabbed his shoulder and halted him.

"The Light Spirits of the forest are inaccessible right now Hero, we must leave," said Sheik, gesturing toward the bridge.

"What? What do you mean inaccessible?" asked Link as his body faced Ordon Spring while he turned to look at Sheik.

"I will explain but we must leave. They are surely tracking us," said Sheik urgently, still gripping Link's shoulder but the hero shook his head.

"There could still be survivors! What about Faron then?" shouted Link desperately, staying rooted to the spot.

"Both spirits of the forest are inaccessible Hero. They can not help us. Now please don't shout," said Sheik calmly, trying to pull the Hero toward the bridge.

"Then I have to do something! I can't just leave! Not without knowing if they got away or not!" shouted Link frantically. Sheik heard the bellows of several creatures alerting others that they obviously heard Link's shouting.

"Hero! You _can't _do anything for them! You _can't _save them right now. But we _can _go and tell someone else and perhaps bring reinforcements later!" shouted Sheik desperately trying to get Link to see reason.

"It will be too late by then! I have to do something now! Let go of me!" shouted Link as he tried tugging his right arm out of Sheik's iron grip. Rows of Bulblin's and Bokoblin's started appearing down the path and Link wasn't giving an inch. Thinking quickly, Sheik did the quickest and most effective thing.

"Forgive me Hero, but this is for your own good…"said Sheik. He unsheathed his short sword. He swiftly brought his arm back and bashed it hilt first against Link's head instantly knocking him out.

Hoisting the Hero on his back, Sheik disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

Link awoke to the sound of rushing water. He blinked his eyes, trying to remember why his head was throbbing. He sat up rubbing his head and then noticed that his arm was bandaged.

"Are you feeling better Hero?" asked Sheik while he sat near a low wall to the right of Link, peering over it. Link suddenly remembered the events from earlier.

"You knocked me out didn't you? How is that supposed to keep me safe? Not that I _need _a bodyguard, but that sure looks fishy to me. You know what? How do I know you aren't some kind of double agent?" asked Link suspiciously as he stood up. Sheik raised an eyebrow.

"To whom are you accusing me of being a double agent for?" asked Sheik looking back at Link. His piercing red eyes seemed to see straight through him, making Link rather insecure now.

"Well…obliviously whoever sent those _things _after me or maybe _you _sent them after me! Now you're just waiting until my guards down! What are you planning?" growled Link. Sheik ran his hand down his face, sighing.

"If that were true Hero, then why would I save you from my own minions?" Asked Sheik. Link frowned.

"I don't know, you tell me," said Link. He lowered his hand to rest on the hilt of his sword as a safety precaution. After groping around for a few seconds, Link franticly realized that there was no sword there.

"Where's my sword? Did you take that too?" shouted Link. Sheik put up his hands.

"Do you see it anywhere on me? Or anywhere near us? Or perhaps do you remember a certain incident where you were disarmed by a shadow as it rendered your sword arm useless?" said Sheik giving Link a pointed look. He then lowered his hands and peered back over the wall.

"Oh yeah…" said Link. He rubbed his temples, recalling every thing that happened recently. Sighing, Link slowly walked up to Sheik, scratching the back of his head.

"Look, I'm really stressed and worried about this whole thing. And...I'm sorry. You did save my life and I was just wrapping myself around nonexistent problems, so…yeah," said Link bashfully.

"Under the circumstances Hero, I really can't blame you for thinking such things. But, if you wouldn't mind, would you come here? I thought it would help my cause if you were to see why the spirits of the forest can't help us," said Sheik, gesturing the Hero closer.

Curious, Link walked closer until he was standing at Sheik's side. Sheik then pointed to his left to what looked like another part of the wall to Link. Confused, Link looked a little closer then gasped as he suddenly recognized the long curved tail.

"Is that…Faron? But why does it look all…stony?" asked Link as he peered closer.

"Because it is petrified Hero and that is why I am desperate to get you out of here. For if this enemy is strong enough to not only petrify two of the Great Light Spirits but also create shadows that are equate enough to stand up to your level, then the one who created them is not a foe we should face just yet," said Sheik. Link humphed and rolling his eyes.

"People said that about Ganon before I kicked his ass," Said Link, crossing his arms while placing his injured one top.

"This is not the work of the Evil King of Darkness Hero. He is still sealed away right where you left him…No, this is someone far more intone with the shadows of the world then he," said Sheik, returning to scanning the area, "If you are ready, then we should leave soon. It is almost dawn. I have a suspicion that these shadows will fade with the night…" said Sheik. Link narrowed his eyes.

"I said I'm not leaving yet, not without at least knowing the fate of everyone else," said Link lowly. Sheik sighed impatiently.

"I thought we moved past this…How will you help them if you find them alive when you are unable to wield a sword? Unless you are of course left handed as well?" asked Sheik shortly. Link looked down at his feet, suddenly realizing Sheik was right.

_What use am I if I can't even fight a couple of Bulblin's?_

"No, I'm not left handed," whispered Link then narrowed his eyes remembering something. "But I do have other weapons that I can use with my left hand," Said Link looking back up at Sheik.

"I doubt that whoever sent those shadows to Ordon would allow the villagers to live when they obviously wanted you dead," said Sheik, running his hand down his face again. Link closed his eyes. He then dropped his hands to his side and balled them into fists.

"Look, these people may drive me crazy but they are the closet thing to a family that I have. I couldn't live with myself if I just abandoned them, I have to do whatever I can," Link opened his eyes and looked straight into Sheik's eyes. "Let's make a deal then. I don't really understand what you're after, but I'll leave with you or whatever you want if you help me save them," said Link. Sheik stared at him for a moment, considering it.

"Your life is my first priority Hero. As often as you may hear this, the fate of the world does rest on your shoulders. And I will not risk that for a lost cause," said Sheik but his eyes softened when Link looked so miserable. "But…I suppose we do need to get your equipment, and you say that you can wield other weapons with your left hand?" asked Sheik. Link nodded. Sheik brought his left hand up to his face, resting his index finger on the top of this head while rubbing his temple with his thumb. He stayed like that until he finally decided. Crossing his arms, he fully faced Link.

"If you truly won't let this go, then this is what I'll promise. If they are indeed alive, then I shall help you in your rescue _only _if it is possible. If they happen to be within a situation that is irreversible, then we must leave them and come back with others. You swear to this and I shall help you," said Sheik giving Link a hard look, easily saying that he will agree to nothing else.

"You got yourself a deal," said Link, holding out his right hand. Sheik shook it, sealing their deal. Then with a last scan of the area, he stood up and climbed out from behind the petrified spirit. Link followed, but stopped once he reached the small spring at the bottom. He glanced back at Faron.

_Don't worry…I'll free you guys, just give me some time._

Link turned back to find Sheik waiting for him at the water's edge. When Link walked up to him Sheik turned to lead the way. Link followed, confused.

"Aren't we gonna do that disappearing act of yours?" asked Link as he caught up to Sheik. He shook his head.

"The term is _teleporting _Hero and no, I will not use it now because it drains my energy. Therefore, I only use it during an emergency," said Sheik. Link nodded and then began scanning the area himself.

They soon reached the bridge and Sheik stopped him before Link could even put a foot on it.

"From here, there will be an increased number of enemies, but I have not seen the shadows anywhere since we escaped them. That makes me believe that they either only appear in a certain area or they only appear when summoned. So I ask you to stay near me in case we need to make a quick escape," said Sheik as he checked the bridge for any traps.

"You got it," said Link. Not finding any traps, Sheik motions for the Hero to follow him.

Sheik passed Ordon Spring, but Link caught sight of the petrified Ordona and couldn't help but enter its spring to get a good look at it.

Almost walking off without him, Sheik does a double take when Link wasn't behind him. Then back tracks to find him in Ordon Spring.

"Hero please, I _just _said to stay near my side," said Sheik rather shortly. Spinning around, Link gives him an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that, I just couldn't help it. Who would do this though? Who has this kind of power?" asked Link as he turned back around and touched Ordona's face sadly.

"Only the Goddess's know, but we best move on if you wish to find the others alive. The more time we waste, the less of a chance that they have of surviving," said Sheik as he stood by Link's side. Link nodded then turned and walked out of the spring.

Sheik took the lead again until they reached the area right outside of Link's house. Scanning the area, Sheik decides that the best way inside is through Link's window.

"There are many Bulblin's and Bokoblin's near the gates but I don't see any near your house. I'll get us to the roof, but what we do there depends if there are enemies inside your house," said Sheik, then walked up to the tree standing to the right of his house.

The tree stood just out of sight which was just what Link needed. He patted the trunk.

_I will never doubt your usefulness again. _

Then he climbed up into its branches, followed by Sheik, who had to help him several times.

When they reached the top, Link noticed that it was too far to jump to his roof. So, he assumed that they would teleport. When Sheik climbed up beside him though, Link found he was wrong when he pulled out a…whip? _What?_

Link watched as Sheik untwisted his whip and snapped it to a nearby tree branch. Testing it, Sheik then held out his other hand. Link took it, looking down once they were leaning over the edge.

"Hold on to my waist. I'll have to keep a hold of you with my legs because I'll need both my hands to support our body weight," said Sheik. Then with swift movement, he jumped and hooked his legs around Link's waist and swung to Link's roof.

The landing was a bit awkward, for Link's feet hit the roof first but Sheik needed the Hero to be their anchor. Once they landed, Link had to set Sheik back on the ground.

"That was pretty awesome, but I still like my way. It's faster," said Link.

Rolling his eyes, Sheik pulled his whip free and rolled it back up to put it into the folds of his tight suit.

_How in the world does that fit in there? I can't even see it anymore. _

Link was shaken from his thoughts when Sheik spoke.

"I don't see anything within eyesight, but I hear movement in your basement," said Sheik while couching down and peering over the edge of Link's window.

"Figures. I keep my food on the bottom level. But my alcohol is down there. That way it's away from the kids," said Link just as they heard a crash sounding suspiciously like a broken bottle.

"Follow me. I'll keep watch from the second level while you get your equipment, alright?" said Sheik as he began climbing down from the window. Link nodded and then followed.

They made it to the second level where the last ladder was. Sheik stepped aside, getting into a defensive crouched position while Link began climbing down the ladder.

Link equipped everything with no hassle, surprisingly enough to him. He then began to creep back to the ladder. He was almost there when he suddenly realized that two of his items weren't there.

_I always keep my stuff in that chest though…_

Come to think of it, his stuff wasn't as neat as he normally had them. Something caught his eye. In the corner of a dresser near the ladder that goes to the basement.

_My other Clawshot!_

"What is the matter Hero?" whispered Sheik, still crouched on the second level.

"Some of my stuff was missing…" whispered Link but he suddenly had a flash back of the attack. Of Malo shooting monsters with a slingshot.

_Malo doesn't have a slingshot…that's how I missed them, because they came here looking for me…_

If it wasn't for his useless right arm, he'd go down there and kill every last one of them. Shaking his head, Link snuck over to the dresser. Sheik hissed at him.

"Hero! They could hear you! Stay away from the basement!" whispered Sheik urgently. Link gestured that he knew what he was doing and approached the dresser. He quietly picked up his Clawshot.

He was almost back to the ladder leading up when he stepped on a lose board, creating a creaking sound. Link froze, as while as the drunken voices below them. Then they heard the sound of them climbing up the ladder. Not wasting a second, Sheik jumped right above where Link was standing and hung himself upside down. He grabbed Link around the shoulders, then teleported them to the roof just before a Bulblin poked its head over the opening.

They waited until they where were sure that they went back to the basement before Sheik finally turned to Link.

"If you want to make this rescue plan successful, then you need to communicate with me. I can't help you if I don't know what you're doing," Sheik hissed at Link.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think what I was doing would be a big deal!" whispered Link angrily, still clutching the handle of his Clawshot. Sheik took a deep breathe, calming himself.

"If this is how things will progress with you I will most likely die from a heart attack. But anyway, I believe the best place to look for the others would be somewhere up the river or perhaps the ranch," said Sheik, taking a seat next to the window.

"Ok, I think we should try the ranch first. It's closer," said Link as he started to head for the edge of the roof.

"Give me moment Hero…It has been awhile since I have teleported this often in one day," said Sheik, not moving from where he was.

Looking back, Link did notice that Sheik did look tired. Link walked back up to Sheik and sat down in front of him. They stayed like that for a few minutes.

"So, how did you know Ordon was being attacked?" asked Link finally, but Sheik stood up.

"That is a question we best save for later, for it will surely lead into a lengthy conversation," said Sheik. Disappointed but understanding, Link followed him to the edge of his roof. They both crouched and peered over the side. Just as Sheik had said, there were plenty of both Bulblin's and Bokoblin's standing guard near the gates.

"How are we going to get to the other side then?" asked Link.

"I am rather good with stealth. It wouldn't be hard to reach the other side if I stayed in the shadows. But, what of that Clawshot of yours? Could you keep to the top of the trees until you reached the other side?" asked Sheik as he squinted to try and see if there was anything they had to deal within the town.

"Um, not if we are going for stealth here. This baby is kinda noisy. Reliable, but noisy," said Link as he patted his Clawshot fondly. Sheik cursed.

"I'll just have to teleport us again," said Sheik. He then grabbed a hold of Link's left arm. Link had only teleported twice but, he's loving it so far.

_How can I not like teleporting? It's horribly convenient and it makes no sound! Man, if it wasn't for the whole energy draining thing, I'd say it was better then my Clawshots!_

Link feels that weird sensation again and suddenly found himself near the ranch's entryway. They both them snuck up the path to the ranch. They climbed up the wall on the right side at the last second and headed into the trees again.

Sheik then brought out his whip again and they swung from treetop to treetop until they finally climbed on top of the roof of the barn. Crawling to the edge, they both peered over.

What they saw was not what they were expecting.


	5. Chapter 5

To Sheikah Ninja: Ya, I also don't believe that Sheik is a completely cold person, the way I portrayed him in here is my personal opinion of him, but I also believe that having him be cold is sometimes something that just fits in a particular writer's story.

To Emperor Celest: I haven't played it yet, but I've heard that Twilight Princess for the Wii has Link fighting with his right hand.

To Everyone Else: Thanks so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming!

* * *

Link and Sheik lay down on the roof of the ranch's barn, staring at the mass of monsters that crowded the place.

"There's those fucking Stalfos' that ruined my day…" Whispered Link, looking toward the group of Stalfos standing near a huge bonfire.

_How come we didn't see the smoke, or light for that matter, from that fire? _

"There's a great deal of shadow magic surrounding this place…I fear that whoever petrified the Spirits of the forest may be here," whispered Sheik, "But I don't see any of the shadows around here. They must be something our foe must have to summon whenever he wants them active," Sheik then pointed to the far left of the bonfire, "Hero…"

Link followed his finger and couldn't suppress the gasp that escaped his mouth. Sheik pulled them both down behind the roof just before the group of Bokoblin's next to the barn door could look up and see them.

_Oh my Goddess…all of them…?_

Link recognized the people that stood stone still to the far left of the bonfire and now he knew why they didn't move. He couldn't see their expressions, but the position some of them were in led Link to believe that whoever did this was attempting to intimidate them into doing something.

_Petrified…just like Faron and Ordona…_

"Even the children…?" whispered Link miserably until Sheik pushed against his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He pointed to his right, next to the bonfire. Link looked…_could it be?_

It was, for Colin, Beth, Talo, and Malo sat near the fire perfectly fine. In front of the children stood what looked to them like another child that was clothed in nothing but purple.

A shout of "SILENCE MORTAL!" suddenly made them both jump out of their skin, hardly believing such a deep and powerful voice came from a small child like that. The purple clothed child pointed at the children, screaming something else but the sound was muffled with the raising yells of the monsters.

Link yelped when something suddenly pounced on his back. He began twisting and turning trying to get the creature off. Sheik tensed beside him, dagger already posed to strike in his hand. At seeing what it was, he just rolled his eyes and put the weapon away.

"Icesis! I told you to stay away!" Scolded Sheik angrily, crawling back over the edge of the barn's roof to check if any heard Link's yelp. Relieved that the monsters were too riled up to hear much of anything, Sheik crawled back to find Link still in the same position from when he left.

"…whatever is on my back is a friend right…?" asked Link cautiously, still frozen in place. Sheik chuckled, looking up at the cause of Link's distress.

A white cat with black speckles and stripes sat perched in between Link's shoulder blades. Her sharp green eyes looked back at Sheik and then she tilted her head as if to say, _What? What did I do? _

"She won't hurt you Hero," said Sheik. He then clicked his tongue softly. Icesis leaped off Link's back and trotted to Sheik's side, rubbing against his arm.

"I was about to say this situation is rather irreversible, but since you're here, you might as well make yourself useful," said Sheik softly to Icesis, while scratching her behind the ears.

"Meow?" said Icesis, her eyes now following the whooping and hollering monsters before her.

"Hero, we need to get this mass away from the ranch if we want any chance of saving those children. I suggest we create a distraction over near the entryway. Icesis should be able to handle that, right girl?" said Sheik to Icesis. She gave Sheik a pointed look, as if saying, _look who you're talking to._

Icesis then patted over to the side of the barn's roof and leapt off, disappearing from sight. Link, who had been staring wide eyed at the cat for this entire time, finally crawled up beside Sheik.

_Of all the things that I had imagined pouncing on my back…a cat wasn't one of them._

"Well since you got a plan all laid out now, mind telling me why your _cat _just jumped my ass? Or why we are now relying on your _cat _to drive hundreds of vicious man eating monsters away?" asked Link. Sheik laughed softly, a sound that Link decided he liked best coming out of him.

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Hero. She is very intelligent and very fast. As for why she jumped you…well, that's pretty rare for her actually. I'd say she likes you, which says a lot. She doesn't like many people," said Sheik, keeping his eyes on the riling monsters. They both noticed that the purple clothed child was _still _screaming something at the children, but both couldn't tell if it was from the same rant as before or part of a new one.

"Of _course _she couldn't jump straight to you…just had to scare the shit out of me first, and she _likes me_? Well your cat has a weird way of showing affection then," grumbled Link.

"Her _name _is Icesis Hero, and everyone has there own way of showing affection," said Sheik neutrally.

"Fine," said Link, then his eyes snapped back to the monsters when he noticed movement.

_Oh my Goddess…that damn cat really did it…_

Link watched in amazement as the monsters started to run toward the exit as if chasing something. The purple clothed child seemed to have stopped mid rant and swung around toward where the monsters were all heading. Then the child suddenly stopped mid step, then turned and looked right where they were hiding.

"Can that kid see us?" asked Link nervously as they both kept as low as they possibly could. His question was answered when a bolt of lightning suddenly hurled straight for them.

Reacting purely on instinct, Link threw himself to the right, narrowly missing the spot where it landed, but couldn't escape the dark energy that recoiled off it and blasted him off the roof.

Link landed hard on the ground, knocking the air from his lungs. He laid there for a moment until finally pushing himself up, resting his upper body on his left arm. The fall definitely didn't help his injured right arm but, by some stroke of luck, just barely missed landing on it.

He suddenly caught sight of the children huddled together near the bonfire. Link pushed himself to his feet and began running toward them. But he suddenly remembered that he wasn't the only one on that roof. He swung toward the roof of the barn, only to look in horror at what was left of it.

_Sheik…_

He cursed himself for his thoughtlessness.

_He's fast, I'm sure he just threw himself the other way, he'll turn up soon_.

He turned back and jogged up the last line of trees that separated the forest from the ranch. Peering out from behind a tree trunk, Link spotted the children, but was surprised to see that only a pair of Stalfos was standing near them.

_Did that cat really chase all those monsters out of here?…Wait, where's that kid?_

Not seeing the purple clothed child anywhere, Link left his cover and snuck up behind the Stalfos. He reached into the pouch on the side of his belt as he went. He then pulled out a bombling and after activating it, quickly sidestepped to the right as it walked to the left and straight up to the Stalfo's.

Hearing the bombling, the first Stalfos quickly looked down only to have it lift itself and blow up in its face, blasting the Stalfos to pieces. The blast stunned the other Stalfos, but Link quickly took care of that by tossing a regular bomb at it while he ran past.

"Link! I knew you would come! I knew it!" shouted Colin as Beth stayed wrapped around him, crying.

"Took you long enough! What have you been doing? We almost had some crazy short guy go totally bonkers on us!" shouted Talo, his face was red as if he had been shouting for awhile.

"I think he went _bonkers _the moment you spoke your first word to him," muttered Malo.

"Hey, I was busy just trying to stay alive! Now _shut up _Talo and let's get out of here!" Shouted Link after he freed them.

"Most interesting…" said a voice seemly coming from everywhere. Link stopped, the children almost running into him from behind. He tried looking for the culprit but could find no one.

"Here stands the _Great Hero_, who saved all of Hyrule and yet…couldn't stop me from destroying his poor excuse of a home…how pitiful," said the endless voice. Link growled.

"Come and say that to my face!" snarled Link. The children all huddled behind him.

They heard foot steps, and Link swung to his right to see the purple clothed child standing before him. He smirked, his red eyes glowing with malice.

"Though I must admit, I never thought you would gain the aid of one of the shadow walkers. Thought they were all dead, oh well. He can't help you now anyway, though I did expect him to put up a better fight then that…" said the purple clothed child, scratching his chin.

_Sheik no…!_

Link was furious, but then noticed that the monsters were heading back up the path to the ranch. Panicking, Link began backing up, pushing the children with him.

"Oh no, your not going anywhere and now that I do finally have you here, I have no further use for those little _brats_," said the purple clothed child. Link stood protectively in front of them, a feral look springing into his eyes.

"You touch them and you are _dead_!" snarled Link.

"Oh I won't be touching them, not that you could stop me if I _was_, but I'm sure there are plenty of these creatures that are hungry," said the purple clothed child, laughing menacingly. " Oh! And what fun it would be to actually have you _watch_," then pointed his hand at Link. Link began to tense, waiting for the inevitable. Suddenly a flash of silver came hurling toward the outstretched hand, imbedding itself straight through his palm.

Sheik came sprinting up and stood protectively next to Link with daggers posed in between each knuckle. The child bent over screaming in pain, holding his hand out.

"Sheik! You're alive!" Link exclaimed relieved.

"I'm not so easy to kill, I'm afraid," said Sheik as the monsters started to surround them, sometimes reaching out in attempts get at one of them. The purple clothed child straightened, a pulsing dark aura suddenly springing forth all around him.

"You…! HOW DARE YOU INJURE MY BEAUTIFUL HAND! YOU WILL ALL SUFFER GREATLY BEFORE YOU BEG ME TO KILL YOU!" yelled the purple clothed child. It was then that Link noticed a gleaming gold emblem in the shape of an eye on the rim of the purple cap on the child's head, before Sheik pushed Link behind him.

"YOU WILL ALL WISH FOR DEATH AFTER I'M DONE WITH YOU! NOW FACE YOUR DOO-" but the child was cut off as a streak of white suddenly flew out of nowhere and impaled itself with the child's face, making him fall onto his back, startled.

Link couldn't believe his eyes but there stood Icesis, glaring down at the child from his chest. She hissed and then pounced, scratching and biting everything she could reach. Link tensed, expecting the kid to blast her off of himself, but to his utter amazement, the child then let out the most girly screech Link had ever heard.

"AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! DON'T JUST STAND THERE YOU IDIOTS! GET IT OFF! AHHHHHHHHHH," screamed the child, twisting and turning as Icesis hissed and sheared his purple robes. Link couldn't help but bust up laughing and the children soon followed his example.

"Hero! Come, gather the children. I'm afraid I will need your assistance after this, but just get us away from the forest," shouted Sheik over the loud yells all around them. Link, still laughing, clutched the laughing children to his chest until what Sheik said finally dawned on him.

_Wait What…?_

"Icesis!" Shouted Sheik as he put an arm around Link's right shoulder. Icesis jumped off the screaming child then leapt into Sheik's other arm. Sheik teleported them all away.

The next thing everyone saw is the side of a house. Link was just about to say how awesome he thought Icesis was now until Sheik suddenly slumped against his side.

"Sheik!" exclaimed Link, just as he caught him just before he hit the ground, but he just happened to catch him with his injured arm, making him gasp and fall down with him because of all the extra weight now on it.

Quickly he checked his pulse. Link hoisted Sheik up on his left shoulder when he found a steady heart beat, but struggled getting up. The children began to crowd around him and started asking him questions all at once, while Icesis stayed glued next to Link's legs.

"Quiet! All of you!" shouted Link. He looked to his right once he heard a door open.

"What in the world is all the shouting about…" said a man with a brown afro that had a bird nestled within it, "Oh Link! There you are buddy! Man how convenient, because Epona came running all through here looking panicked, so I tied her to the other side of my house…and…ah is something wrong? What did I miss?" asked the man, as the children all stared at him.

"Man! You're a life saver Coro, but I don't have time to explain. There's something bad happening in the forest right now, so go stay with one of your sisters ok?" said Link as he passed Coro, heading for the other side of his house.

Link rounded the corner, with the children all trailing behind him and signed with relief once he caught sight of Epona. She neighed at him impatiently as if saying, _Your late. _

Link rolled his eyes, but started when he heard a second neigh. Then he noticed the white stallion that stood a few feet away from Epona, who must have been at lest a good three or four hands taller then her.

"Oh yeah, and this ninja guy came and asked if he could keep his horse here and I didn't have a problem with it but he hasn't come back yet…" said Coro, scratching his head. Link raised an eye brow, and turned his left side to Coro.

"You mean this ninja guy?" asked Link, pointing to Sheik.

"Yep! That would be him, wow you guys are friends? You really are a friendly guy," said Coro laughing, "I guess I'll go stay with my little sis then, because there isn't anything in this green earth that could make me stay with my older sister. She's scary," said Coro, then walked back into his house, still mumbling about how mean his older sister was.

"What are we going to do Link?" asked Colin.

"We are leaving the forest," said Link, remembering what Sheik said, but he didn't say where, "I guess the best place to go is Kakariko for now," said Link, grabbing Epona's reins.

_I'll need to get another saddle and blanket._

"I'll walk. Two of you guys can ride on Epona, but the other two have to walk with me," said Link, eyeing Sheik's horse. That stallion didn't look to friendly right now, so he better not push it.

_He'll probably follow us now that he knows we have Sheik. _

Talo and Beth immediately started fighting about who would ride and who would walk.

"I'll walk with you Link," said Colin, walking up beside him. Rolling his eyes, Malo walked up to Link's side as while. Link assumed Malo was walking as while so he quickly split up the fighting children and after setting Sheik down against the wall of Coro's house, helped them up onto Epona's back.

Epona snorted, her ears flat against her head, obliviously not liking the fact that two of the rowdiest children in the world were now on her back. Link slapped her outer thigh.

"Stop that, it's only until we reach Kakariko," said Link to Epona. She snorted again, but straightened her ears. Taking a deep breath, Link hoisted Sheik back on his left shoulder. Then walked cautiously over to the white stallion.

It watched him like a hawk, its ears going straight back once he reached for the rope that was tied to the horse. Putting his hands up, Link whispered comforting words to it until it seemed to relax. Link then untied it and backed away quickly.

The stallion stayed where it was, still watching Link like a hawk. He figured the only reason he didn't get his hand bitten off was because he had Sheik with him.

Link shook his head and walked up to Epona and grabbed her reins, then lead them to the exit and finally out into Hyrule field. Link watched as Icesis ran ahead of them and jumped on top of a high rock, and once the white stallion pasted it, she leapt off the rock and onto his back.

Link laughed when the stallion snorted and shook its head, but other then that, he didn't seem to mind that Icesis hitched a ride on his back.

_Wow, when I said I wanted adventure back, I didn't mean I wanted it to snowball me in the face like this. Just proves that you better be careful what you wish for… _

_

* * *

_

Back on the ranch, the purple clothed child was heaving from his position on the ground, his pulsing dark aura shocking any monster that came near him.

"When I get my hands on them…they are DEAD! They will have a whole new _meaning _for the word pain once I'm through with them!" growled the child. Then another man approached the mass of monsters making them all shout in excitement, thinking he was just another meal.

He quickly proved them wrong with a simple bend of his wrist making any that were close enough to suddenly burst into golden flames. The monsters parted for him, seemly mesmerized.

"So? Where's the Hero of Twilight? You didn't let any of these _things _eat him, did you?" asked the man, crossing his arms and looked down at the heaving child. He was covered in a black cloak. Its golden seams flashing with the light of the bonfire. He also had the hood over his face.

"Yes, I _did _have the Hero of Twilight, but you never _told _me one of the shadow walkers would be helping him! I could have prepared for that!" shouted the child as he stood up and dusted himself off, his pulsing dark aura finally fading. The man sighed.

"You couldn't handle an extra person? I thought you said that this would be easy?" said the man.

"It _was _easy; I had them in my grasp not more then five minutes ago! But then that shadow walker proved he is most definitely not a weakling, he even had a legendary fiend as an ally! If he hadn't _sicked_ it on me, they would still be my prisoners!" said the child crossing his arms as well.

"Well they could be anywhere now and with this legendary fiend of theirs, they could most likely handle any of these _things _with ease now. What is this legendary fiend anyway? They couldn't have found a phoenix could they? Or a dragon? Just start from the beginning I guess…" said the man. The child sighed impatiently, but relayed everything that had happened since the escape of his prisoners. After the child had finished, the man stared at him unbelievably for a moment.

"Let me get this straight…the Hero escapes the _first _time because you sent nothing but a few bony warriors after him, then didn't have any of your shadow creatures out because it takes to much energy to keep them active during the _day_, then once you had them cornered…they escaped because you got jumped by a _cat?"_ asked the man skeptically.

"That fiend could have killed me! There are countless stories of how that horrible creature would play with its food before killing it! It's a fearsome fiend among my race!" exclaimed the child angrily. The man ran his hand down his face then shook his head.

"Good lord…Well, just starting preparing now for he will surely go and begin his next journey. In which he must _not _succeed, or it's the end of us all, understand? Now get it done," said the man, then turned and walked the way he came.

The child narrowed his eyes at the man's retreating back.

"One of these days mortal…you will regret blackmailing me…" grumbled the purple clothed child under his breath.


	6. Chapter 6

To Sheikah Ninja: My life has gotten a bit hectic right now, I'm barely keeping up with my own story, but afterward sure, I'd love to read and review your stories!

To Emperor Celest: Hey, if I were him, I'd have been way more colorful with the swearing, since those Stalfos quite literally ruined his day. Though I do understand everyone is entitled to there own personal opinion, I just thought he'd be the kind of person to be pissed enough to curse to the extreme when faced with the source of his problem.

And for the few people who might be wondering what breed of cat Icesis is, well she's an Egyptian Mau. I almost said that in the story, but then I thought that would sound weird since I'm pretty sure there isn't an Egypt anywhere in Hyrule's world.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" whined Talo as he slumped over Epona's neck. Beth just rolls her eyes from behind him.

"For the _last _time Talo, no we're not there yet. Asking me every five minutes will not help us go any faster," said Link irritably. He eyed Sheik's white stallion again. He guessed it finally decided that he wasn't a threat to Sheik, for he had stopped watching his every move about ten minutes ago.

Icesis was still laying comfortably on his back, watching the few birds flying above her.

_Sheik sure has an interesting pair of pets…_

Link then noticed them nearing the short bridge that stood just outside of Kakariko Village.

_Thank Goddess…my arm is killing me…_

"Alright guys, we're almost there," said Link, chuckling when Talo shot up from his slumped position and almost knocked heads with Beth.

Nearing the gates of Kakariko, Link suddenly remembered something.

"Malo, where's my Slingshot?" asked Link, looking back at him as the child dragged his feet beside Colin. Malo looked up, surprised.

"Why would you ask me?" asked Malo, suddenly rubbing his other arm with his knuckles, a habit Link noticed he does when he's nervous.

"I noticed it missing when I got my stuff, and I remembered you using one," said Link. Malo looked toward the side.

"I could have been using my own Slingshot…" mumbled Malo.

"I might have believed that if it hadn't been for Talo's little mishap a month ago," said Link, raising an eyebrow. Malo looked up at Link again and was about to respond, but Talo humphed, interrupting him.

"That was bogus! I finally get my own Slingshot and just because I _accidentally _hit Link the cat, they take it away! Saying 'we kids shouldn't have these things'? That's totally not fair!" exclaimed Talo as they pasted the gates of Kakariko. Sheik's white stallion suddenly stopped, not trusting the narrower passageway. Icesis leapt off his back though and once again stayed glued to Link's side.

"Yes, you _accidentally _hit him when he was two feet in front of you…while being in Colin's arms…"said Malo giving his brother a dull look. Talo looked ready to start a fight so Link jumped in.

"None of that guys. Just go into town without a fuss please," said Link looking back at Sheik's stallion that remained where he was, eyeing the gates of Kakariko suspiciously.

_I'll have to come back and get him once I drop Sheik off…_

"So, Malo? What happened to it?" asked Link again. Malo finally let out a long sigh.

"Alright, fine. We were sent to stay with you when Rusl came running back to the village being chased by those monsters. You weren't there, but those boney fighters were, so I grabbed your Slingshot because it was on top of everything else. Not to mention I couldn't hold any of the other stuff you had _anyway_, and was on our way back from avoiding the other monsters when the ones already in town cornered us…I dropped it into the pond when the monster on the platform captured me," said Malo, looking down again.

"Oh man, that things been with me through my whole journey…" said Link as he sighed sadly, "But it's not that big a deal. Your life means more to me than a piece of equipment, so just forget about it Malo," They then rounded a corner and entered town.

"Ok," mumbled Malo.

Link waved to Renado when he saw the shaman standing near the front of the spring. Waving back, Renado walked up to Link and then noticed Sheik on his back.

"Hello Link. Who is your friend?" asked Renado as he hugged Colin. Talo and Beth tried getting off of Epona at the same time which just resulted in them tumbling to the ground, landing on top of each other.

Epona just snorted and walked over to the spring.

"This is Sheik. He's been knocked out since we left Ordon. Can you help him?" asked Link as he turned toward his left side, giving Renado a better look at him. Renado brought his hand up and scratched his chin.

"A Sheikah? It's been quite some time since I've seen one of them…"said Renado, then walked up and have Sheik a quick look over.

"I've never really treated a Sheikah before. They are a rather introverted race, but I'll try my best," said Renado as he took Sheik from Link. Icesis followed the shaman, staying faithfully near her owner's side.

Link rubbed his left arm, trying to get feeling back into it.

"Wow, that was a lot harder then I thought it would be, but at lest Sheik's getting help," said Link, then turned to the children. "You guys go to the hotel alright? Or stay with Renado, but don't leave town got it?" They all nodded and left, but Colin stayed behind.

"What are you going to do Link?" asked Colin, walking up and standing by his side. Link sighed tiredly, looking back toward the entrance to Kakariko.

"I've got to get Sheik's stubborn horse. I'm sure he'll stay with Epona in the spring, but I've just got to _get _him there," said Link.

"Can I help?" asked Colin. Link ruffled his hair, but shook his head.

"No Colin. This horse isn't mine, so I don't know how he's going to react to me and I don't want you getting hurt. Just hang out with everyone else, ok? I'll come join you when I'm done," said Link. Colin nodded and then gave Link a hug before running off to join the others.

Link sighed tiredly again.

_Man…this has been a long day…_

Rubbing his hands together Link then walked back toward the exit, intent on finding Sheik's horse.

Once he reached the gates, he quickly looked around, surprised that the stallion wasn't near the gates.

_Where the hell did it go?_

Link walked farther out, squinting his eyes in an effort to spot the stallion. Suddenly seeing movement, Link spots _something _out on top of the hill with a single tree.

Taking a closer look, Link saw it was actually a Bulblin riding a boar. It was waving its club around wildly. Rolling his eyes while cursing, Link begins to walk over to the right of the bridge until he hears a familiar neigh. Spinning toward the sound, Link saw the stallion running along the edge of the hill on the other side of the bridge being followed by that same Bulblin and his boar.

_Dammit! Why do those suckers have to be such pests?_

Link sprinted back toward the bridge, digging into his pouch for one of his Clawshot's.

_If I still had use of my right arm, I'd just blast the suckers with bomb arrows…_

Reaching the side of the hill, Link began to climb, but he heard another familiar sound. He quickly jumped back, narrowly missing being shot with an ignited arrow. Looking toward where it came from, Link saw _another _Bulblin riding a boar, but this one was wielding a bow.

Link threw himself to the side of the hill as another arrow went whizzing past him.

_Perfect…no wonder the stallion wasn't just standing there. He didn't want to become somebody's next meal…_

Link peered over the side, and saw the Bulblin run away from him, trying to help its partner trap the stallion. Link jogged up the slope, keeping low.

The white stallion was fast, Link had to admit that, but it couldn't keep avoiding those arrows for long. Thinking fast, Link then put his Clawshot away and dug out his Gale Boomerang. He bolted out into the open, heading straight for the bow Bulblin.

It noticed him almost immediately, and notched another arrow. But Link, who had been focusing his energy with every step, brought his left arm back and threw his Gale Boomerang at it. Small tornados sprung from the path it left behind before hitting the Bulblin full force, spinning around it five times. And with the final spin, it blew the Bulblin right off its boar before returning to Link's hand.

The stallion suddenly bolted right past him, the other Bulblin hot on his tail. Not wasting a second, Link brought his arm back again and threw it at the Bulblin that just pasted him. It shot straight for it, circling it once, before returning to Link's hand.

The single small tornado wasn't strong enough to throw the Bulblin off, but it did daze it quite a bit before it rammed headlong into the wall on the right side, leading away from Kakariko village. The impact threw the Bulblin off and it stayed on the ground stunned, while Link ran up to it's boar and jumped on its back.

_I've gotta get to that horse before it disappears again!_

Link kicked the boar while pulling on its reins, turning it sharply to the left and shot after the panicking stallion, trampling right over the stunned Bulblin while he went past.

_I forgot how boney and rough these guys were… _

He spun to the right, heading down the path leading away from Kakariko chasing after the stallion. Link saw his long white tail whipping around the corner, so he followed it around the corner as well.

Link continuously chased him for over twenty minutes, not gaining an inch on him.

_I'm never going to get anywhere near that horse with this thing…I hate to do this to him, but I can't think of anything else… _

So Link chased the stallion into the water, running right under the bridge, looking for a good place to initiate his plan, but couldn't find one.

_I think I know a place…_

Link chased the stallion onto the path that lead to Lake Hylia and then onto the Great Bridge. He kicked the boar again, urging it to go faster, then once they neared the end of the huge bridge he brought his Gale Boomerang out again. Once they reached the end of the bridge, the stallion sped to his left. It then began turning right, toward Hyrule Castle.

_Man, I hope this works…_

Link then threw the boomerang so it flew past the horse's right side, making him scream in fright and bolt to his left. Running down the new path, the stallion suddenly skidded to a halt, to avoid falling down the stairs that lead to Falbi's Flight by Fowl.

Link turned the boar sideways so it blocked most of the narrow path of the exit. Spinning around, the stallion snorted, his ears flat against his head while he bared his teeth at Link. The stallion backed up when Link urged the boar closer.

_He's not going to calm down being trapped in this corner…but I can't let him just wander to blow off steam, he'll get hurt or might not even come back. If Sheik is as attached to his horse like I am to mine, I'm sure he'll want him back…_

Deciding, Link urged the boar closer making the stallion back up even more. He pulled the reins, centering the boar, allowing space on both sides of it to taunt the stallion. It worked, the stallion stomped the ground several times, snorting until he finally reared up screaming.

_Here goes nothing…This is going to be a lot harder with only one good hand, but hey, you only live once. _

Link hoisted himself up, so he was crouching on the boar's back. Then just as he predicted, the stallion tried bolting past him. Right when the stallion was about to pass the boar, Link hurled himself on its back.

Panicking, the stallion began bucking and ran in random directions. Link gripped the bucking horse's mane and then with a good kick to his ride side, made the stallion bolt back down the Great Bridge.

_Damn! After all that sprinting, this guy's still a speed demon! _

Link gripped the reins with his right hand, jerking it in the way he wanted to go. He wasn't able to apply much pressure because of his injury. But after about a dozen times, Link finally managed to cross the bridge and headed straight for Kakariko.

The stallion was so intent about getting Link off him, that he didn't even notice he was already in town. Link then switched, putting the reins in his left hand then gripped the stallion's mane again, pulling sideways. The horse began running sideways until he finally reared again, and then bolted into the spring.

"Renado! Close the gates!" Link shouted to the Shaman that stood shocked next to his house. This seemed to knock him out of his daze for he yelled for one of the gorons to close the far gate, then he ran to the nearest one next to the spring and closed it.

_Ok…now to get off without breaking my neck…_

Link then jerked the stallion's reins again, getting him to bolt forward, until they neared the back of the spring then he pulled back sharply, making the horse rear again. Keeping the reins tight to the horse's neck, Link held on until he started to buck again. Using the momentum, Link hurled himself into the pool in the back of the spring, hitting the water head first.

Resurfacing, Link spit water out of his mouth, then swam to the side and pulled himself up onto the shore and just laid there.

_Yeah, I think this is enough adventure for one day…_

Link continued to lay there for another ten minutes until he started to hear someone calling is name. Sighing tiredly, he dragged himself up and slowly climbed back from behind the spring and walked through the water until he finally reached the edge on the other side.

Something suddenly rammed into his middle, making him fall over onto his back. From the ground, Link looked down and saw Colin wrapped around his waist hugging him tightly.

"I was so worried! That horse looked ready to trample you!" Colin shouted into his shirt. Smiling, Link ruffled his hair.

"Come now, did you forget how good a wrangler I was? That was just horseplay," said Link laughing, picking himself up while Colin stayed glued to his middle the whole way.

"Hey, let's go get something to eat, okay? I don't know about you, but I'm starving," said Link, pushing the hair out of Colin's eyes. The boy nodded, then walked by his side until Link reached the Shamans house, in which he was almost trampled by three other children, shouting something all at once.

"Enough! Link is fine, now off to bed, all of you!" said Renado sternly as he walked up, holding a bundle of clothing. Link gave him a grateful look.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute, okay? Go with the others," said Link softly to Colin. He nodded, then turned and caught up with Beth, walking beside her.

"Where's Sheik's horse?" asked Link, looking around for it. The shaman pointed to the far left end of the spring. There stood Sheik's white stallion, seemly calmed down a bit. He was standing next to Epona, while both were taking a drink of water.

_Wow…totally walked right past him…I really need some sleep…_

"He tried running back the way he came but thank goodness we closed the gates. After a few minutes, he just came back up there and hasn't left his little corner," said Renaldo. "Oh, about your Sheikah friend, he'll be fine. He just fainted. He should wake up anytime now, but he'll need to stay in bed for at lest another day. He's drained a lot of energy. A bit more strain might have killed him actually so do be careful alright? You only have one life to spare," said Renado, then handed him the bundle of clothing, "I think you would much rather sleep in dry clothes so you may borrow some of mine," then he turned and walked into his house.

_I'm reminded of that pretty much every day…_

Link turned and slowly made his way to the hotel. Entering the door, he asked the person standing at the desk to bring him the meatiest thing they had up to his room. He then walked up to his room and opened the door.

Link stood in the doorway for a moment then laughed softly, for curled up in his bed was Colin who was fast asleep.

Link changed into the brown shirt and pants Renado gave him. He then walked over to the window and hung his white under shirt and tunic over the edge. Just then, a knock came at the door. Link walked over, opening it and was given the biggest medium rare steak he'd ever seen with a glass of water.

After practically inhaling his steak and drinking his water, he left the tray outside his door. With a satisfied sigh, Link walked up to his bed and crawled under the covers. He eventually ended up lying on his back with Colin somehow worming his way next to his side, laying in the curve of Link's left arm. Taking a deep breath, Link closed his eyes.

_Tomorrow, I'll have to get the kids to tell me exactly what happened today…And Sheik for that matter. Not that I don't appreciate his help, but how often does someone come bursting into your life just when your about to lose it?_


	7. Chapter 7

Link was startled awake the next morning by Talo, Beth and Colin all jumping on his bed all yelling something that his sleep ridden mind couldn't comprehend. Finally he got them all to settle down.

"Alright, now why in the name of the Three did you guys wake me up at this ungodly hour?" said Link sleepily, running a hand through his hair.

"Your Sheikah friend's gonna kill Renado!" exclaimed Talo while Colin and Beth looked worried.

"_What?" _Exclaimed Link, then threw the covers off him and burst out of his room, then sprinted down the hall then out of the hotel, with the children all trailing behind him.

_Where was Sheik at…? Oh duh, Renado's house._

Link sprinted down the long wooden walkway of the hotel, then ran up to Renado's door and threw it open.

Sheik had Renado pinned to the floor, with a dagger posed against his throat.

"_Where is he?" _growled the Sheikah, pushing the dagger closer, making a thin trail of blood slide down Renado's neck.

"Sheik! What are you doing?" shouted Link angrily while gripping the frame of the doorway. Sheik looked up sharply, then jumped back from the fallen man, just as the children came inside.

"Hero? There you are, are you alright?" asked Sheik, walking toward him, but Link brushed past him without answering, and helped Renado up.

"Renado? Are you alright? Jeeze, hold on…Colin go get a towel for him," said Link. Colin nodded, running off.

"I'm fine Link, your friend and I just had a bit of a disagreement," said Renado, putting his hand against the cut on his neck.

"Bullshit, he could have seriously hurt you. Which is why we are talking _now_. So outside, _now_," said Link as he turned and gave Sheik a dangerous look as he pasted him. The Sheikah followed him without a word.

When they neared the side of the spring that was nearest the exit, Link stopped and swung around.

"What the hell is your problem? Your threatening my friends now? He was _helping _you!" growled Link, crossing his arms with a glare.

"I am grateful for his help, but he wouldn't have gotten hurt if he had just told me where you were to begin with," said Sheik neutrally, staring the Hero straight in the eye.

"_What? _Why are you so obsessed with me?" asked Link with a hard look. Sheik sighed.

"I'm not obsessed with _you _Hero, if anything, I'm obsessed with your safety," said Sheik, crossing his arms as well.

"I don't need you to _obsess _over my safety, I've been perfectly fine without you throughout my whole journey. I certainly don't need you to baby sit me now," said Link angrily.

"I know you are perfectly capable of protecting yourself, but the world is in danger now, and the threat will only grow as time passes," said Sheik lowly. Link then waved his hands in front of Sheik's face.

"News flash Sheik! The world will always be in danger! That's something that will never change! Not as long as there is still greed in the world!" Shouted Link, then lowered his hands. Sheik narrowed his eyes.

"You can not tell me you do not feel the shadows spreading across Hyrule, you were almost _killed _by a creature spawned from it!" Sheik hissed.

"That was from some crazy loopy kid that seems to have some kind of personal vendetta against me! Which is something that happens quite a lot _actually_. Once I get to Zelda, we can settle this whole thing, so thanks for your help, but I think it's time for you to leave," said Link, then began to walk past him, but Sheik grabbed a hold of Link's arm.

"Hero, you don't understand-" But Link cut him off, " No, I do understand. That you have some serious issues going on, and if you don't let go of my arm, then your going to regret it," said Link lowly, glaring at him. Sheik gave him a hard look, but released Link's arm.

"What about your promise then? Those children would not be alive if not for me, will you at lest come with me to the Sacred Groove?" asked Sheik, looking Link in the eye again. Link stared at him for a moment.

"Why?" Link asked finally, giving Sheik a suspicious look. Sheik looked to the side suddenly, shifting his weight on his other foot.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you Hero…" said Sheik.

"Try me," said Link, raising an eyebrow. Sheik frowned, shifting his weight again.

"…The Goddess Nayru…came to me in a dream, telling me there will be shadows rising out of every corner of this world and it will join together and hunt you because you are the only one that stands in it's way, and the only way to combat it is to go to the Sacred Groove with the ancient power of seven, and gather all of yourself," said Sheik finally. Link stared at him.

"Your right, I don't believe you," said Link. Sheik ran his hand down his face.

"I can't _prove _it's true until you come to the Sacred Groove, all will be explained there," said Sheik.

"I don't even know you! If this _dream _really happened, then where were you when the world just had it's _last _crisis? There were plenty of things trying to hunt me then!" shouted Link.

"I didn't have this dream until three days ago! And It was not referring to your last journey! If what the Goddess said was indeed true, then this is merely the calm before the storm Hero!" shouted Sheik, desperate to convince to stubborn hero. Link rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, Ganon is sealed away, just like you said, and what could be more powerful then the Wielder of Power, the Evil King or whatever else that bastard is called? The storm has already passed," said Link, giving Sheik a dull look. Sheik sighed impatiently.

"Hero, if this is as serious as the Goddess says then your last journey will seem like a pillow fight in comparison! Perhaps you should take into consideration the fact that maybe sealing Ganon is only cutting the branches from a tree, but what of the roots Hero? Ever stop to think of what could have made Ganon strong enough to obtain the Triforce of Power to begin with?" asked Sheik. Link stared at him wide eyed for a moment, but then shook his head.

"…No, I hadn't considered that, but wait…if it's _real_, why would the source of Ganon's original power not come after me when he was? That, I hate to admit, would definitely spell disaster for me," said Link, deep in thought.

"Perhaps it is unable to be active when Ganon is, or maybe something has to trigger it, I really don't know Hero, but I'm sure going to the Sacred Groove would answer every question you could possibly think up," said Sheik. Running a hand down his face, Link sighed, then closed his eyes, thinking deeply.

"Hero…if you fulfill your part of our deal, and come to the Sacred Groove…then I will leave you be, if that is what you wish," said Sheik, clasping his hands behind him. Link gave him a hard look, then just threw his hands in the air.

"Fine, I'll keep my word and go with you, besides, I'm sure if you had some secret plan to kill me I'd be dead already, but you had better beat it afterward, got it?" said Link, pointing at Sheik. The Sheikah lowered his head.

"Of coarse Hero…" said Sheik softy. Link started to rub his arm.

"Good, now I'm going to get some breakfast…and a potion for this wound, _man _it's really throbbing now," said Link, then winced as a wave of pain came over him, but it quickly passed. Sheik gave him a concerned look.

"It's nothing, just probably slept on it wrong," said Link, but winced again when another wave of pain hit him. He turned and headed for Renado's house, then noticed that the shaman had been leaning on his doorway patiently, while the children were peering out from inside it.

Sheik followed Link up to Renado's house, then walked up to the shaman and bowed his head.

"My apologies, I hadn't meant to hurt you," said Sheik to Renado. The shaman blinked, but nodded.

"I haven't interacted with your race all that much, but if there's something I do know about the Sheikah, it's that they never do anything without a reason. I knew you didn't intend to kill me or hurt me for that matter, but you are not invincible I'm afraid, which is why I wouldn't tell you where Link was, because you needed rest just as much as he does," said Renado, giving Link a hard look, "And yes Link, you will be getting back in bed, _don't argue_, you will thank me later. I'll send breakfast up to your room. I would like if you rested as well Sheik," then he turned and walked down toward the hotel.

"He is a wise man," said Sheik as he watched Renado stop and talk to Barnes, the bomb seller.

"Yeah, he is, but why can't I go riding or something first? Man, this is to be a boring day," said Link as he stretched.

"Maybe you should jump on that crazy horse again. He'd be so fast Renado wouldn't even know you took a ride to begin with," said Talo as he walked out from the doorway, while Colin and Beth walked up to Link's side, but Malo stayed where he was. Sheik gave Link a confused look.

"Crazy horse?" asked Sheik. Malo seemed to have decided that this was not what he wanted to be doing, so he turned and headed for the shop.

"Oh yeah…that was yesterday, when you were out, but your horse wouldn't come into town, but I had to drop you off because you _fainted_, so I went and left you with Renado and he took care of you," said Link, then turned toward the children clutching his sides, both giving Sheik glares from behind him, "Hey, everything's all settled now all right? So no need for the mean looks, so go run along now alright? You too Talo," said Link, giving Talo a pointed look. Talo rolled his eyes, but turned and left to follow his brother. Beth nodded to Link, then walked away but stopped and waited for Colin.

"Are you sure everything's alright?" asked Colin softly to Link. He nodded, ruffling the kid's hair, then gently pushed him toward Beth.

"Yes, Colin, now go on now," said Link shooing them away. They waved and ran off. Link laughed.

"He can be such a mother hen sometimes…" said Link, then noticed Sheik wasn't even there.

Spinning around, he looked around then spotted him in the far end of the spring, petting his white stallion, who looked much calmer now that Sheik was there. Link jogged up to him through the water, and couldn't help but bark a laugh when he saw Icesis curled up on the stallion's back.

"So the speed demon can be something other then angry," said Link chuckling. Sheik looked up at him.

"He isn't very trustful, as you most likely have seen by now, but he is a faithful partner," said Sheik, stroking the stallion's neck, "What happened after you dropped me off?"

"Oh, I never finished huh? Well, I walked back outside, then didn't see this guy anywhere, until I heard him screaming near the top of the adjacent hill. The he came running near the edge being chased by a Bulblin carrying a club, so I got my ass over there only to almost get it shot with an ignited arrow that a _second _Bulblin had shot at me. So I put away my Clawshot, which is what I was _going _to use, when I thought there was only _one _of those suckers to deal with, then brought out my Gale Boomerang and blew that damn Bulblin right off his boar. Then almost got my ass trampled by Mr. Speed Demon here as he sped past me being chased by the other Bulblin, but I took care of him quickly, then jacked his boar and _attempted _to catch up to this guy but that _obviously _wasn't happening so I was forced to corner him and ride him back here…which was interesting to say the lest, but we had some serious bonding time didn't we…what's his name?" asked Link, as Epona walked up to his right side, checking to see if he had any treats.

"Maelstrom, I'd say that was interesting indeed. You are the only other person that has ever ridden him. I must say Hero, you are quite the wrangler," said Sheik, nodding to Link, "And thank you for going after him…you didn't have to do that,"

"No I didn't, but I just imagined myself in your shoes…I'd be crushed if something like that happened to Epona when I wasn't there to help her," said Link, then heard a sharp "meow!" before having his arms full of Icesis. He looked down into her sharp green eyes.

"Meow!" said Icesis, pawing his shirt. Sheik laughed fully, making Link just stare at him.

"What?" Sheik said as he walked up to Link and petted the top of Icesis's head. Link quickly shook his head.

"Nothing...it's just that's the first time I've ever really heard you laugh…but ah, anyway what's up with your pet's?" asked Link somewhat nervously. Sheik looked up into his eyes.

"I'm not really sure actually. Icesis has never liked anyone but my mother and myself. Maelstrom has never liked anyone but me and he's not having a problem with you being here," said Sheik, looking back at his stallion who walked right up to Link's right side to nuzzle Epona, "Or perhaps it's just your mare he has no problem with…?"

"Hey you, don't be knocking up my mare now. She has enough to deal with at the moment," said Link sternly to Maelstrom, who just seemed to give a dull look as if to say, _try and stop me. _

Renado then walked up the edge of the spring and yelled for them to get their behinds in bed, so Link, rolling his eyes, began to drag his feet through the water, all the way back to the long walkway of the hotel. Sheik followed, until he realized he didn't know where he was staying.

"Where am I staying?" asked Sheik as they entered the hotel. Link shrugged.

"I'm sure you can stay in one of the rooms in here, just ask the lady," said Link, then pointed to the lady standing at the desk before walking up to his room.

Once nearing his room, Link quickened his pace when he caught the smell of bacon.

"Meow!" said Icesis, sniffing the air, also smelling the bacon. Link looked down again, chuckling.

"Oh, almost forgot you were in my arms. Sorry though, you aren't getting any of my bacon," said Link, then set her on the ground and opened his door, then was about to close it behind him until he noticed Icesis was sitting on his bed, chomping down on a piece of _his _bacon.

"What the…so you're a speed demon too? Hey! Get away from my bacon!" said Link, then lunged at her, but she quickly jumped out of his reach, then jumped to the side table then on top of a tall dresser, then laid there, seemingly eating the bacon more slowly, as if just to mock him.

"You little…!" said Link, then ran up to the dresser and tried reaching up for her, but she always jumped just out of his reach.

"What's going on here?" said Sheik as he stood in the doorway of Link's room, making him spin around and look at him surprised.

"Your _cat _just stole my bacon…," grumbled Link then noticed that there wasn't any left on his plate, "What? How did you eat all of it? We weren't even in here that long!" said Link, then tried reaching for her again. Icesis, already finished with his food, now had her behind high in the air, her tail swinging from side to side playfully, happily swatting at his hands when they came close.

Sheik shook his head, secretly smiling.

"Well, I will be staying in the room beside you…I will talk to you later Hero…since you seem to be a bit busy now," said Sheik, laughing softly when Icesis began pouncing on the hand Link had up there. He then walked away.

"Fine you win, you thief," said Link after ten minutes of trying to get revenge. He turned and sat down on his bed, eating the rest of his breakfast. He glared at Icesis when she jumped back on the bed and sat right in front of his plate.

She just lowered her head, giving him an innocent look. Rolling his eyes, Link offered her a piece of his sausage. Meowing happily, she took it out of his hand and swallowed it whole.

"Damn, don't choke now," said Link, then he ate the rest of his meal, occasionally offering Icesis a piece.

"Ok, I'm hitting the hay now, so time for you to beat it," said Link, then walked to the door and opened it wider, then gestured for her to leave. Icesis just walked father up his bed and curled up in his pillow.

"Hey! I meant beat it _out of here_, not _onto my pillow_!" exclaimed Link as he walked up to his bed, but Icesis just closed her eyes and purred. Link just rolled his eyes.

"Oh whatever…"said Link then pulled back the covers and after pulling off his boots, got into bed and laid his head on the little section of the pillow that Icesis wasn't on. Quickly nodding off, the last thing Link remembered was the sound of Icesis purring in his ear.

Not more then an hour later, Link suddenly wakes up and gasps, clutching his right arm. He closed his eyes, grinding his teeth together as the waves of pain shot through it.

Icesis, who was startled awake by the sudden movement, jumped off the bed and ran off. Link just continued to sit there, grinding his teeth.

_Man, it's not letting up this time…_

He eyes were watering when Sheik came bursting into his room, Icesis running beside him.

"Hero? What's wrong?" asked Sheik as he ran up to his side. Tears started to fall down his cheeks, but he quickly wiped them away, then took a deep breath.

"My arm feels like that shadow monster is ripping through it again. It won't stop hurting…I think its getting worse…" said Link, his voice getting strained with every word. Sheik cursed, then turned and sprinted out of his room. Icesis jumped onto the bed and curled next to his side, giving him a worried look. Link just smiled weakly, scratching her between her ears.

"Link? What's going on?" said Renado as he came striding into the room, followed by Sheik.

"I don't know…I woke up because my right arm started hurting…" said Link, bringing his left hand up to press against his eyes in attempt to stop the flow of tears threatening to break through.

"Hmmm…"said Renado, then sat next to Link and pulled his right arm gently to him. He began removing the bandages, then gasped when he saw the wound underneath.

The wound itself was black all around the edges, while having thick purple liquid dripping from the sides. Thinking quickly, Renado turned to Sheik.

"Will you go to the store on the right side of this hotel and get me a red potion and fairy?" asked Renado. The Sheikah nodded once, then spun and headed out of the room.

"I'm going to try and clean your wound again alright Link? It will probably hurt, but bare with me," said Renado, then walked out of the room, coming back with a bowl of water and several towels. Bringing Link's wound up to him, he began cleaning it, making Link wince and shove his face into the pillow.

Sheik then burst back into the room, carrying the red potion and fairy, giving them both to Renado. Quickly popping off the cork of the red potion, he poured some on one of the other towels, then gently wiped it on Link's wound.

Link suddenly shot up, screaming in pain, and jerked his arm out of Renado's grip, startling the shaman and Icesis.

"Oh Goddess's that hurt…a potion has never hurt before…" said Link warily. Sheik sat on the end of the bed, growing more worried as the minutes passed.

"Alright, so the red potion is not effective…I must say I've never heard of a potion causing pain either, but let's see if the Fairy can help us," said Renado, releasing the bottled Fairy. Link tensed as the fairy began flying around him, but the pain didn't disappear, but he noticed it stopped getting worse.

"It's still hurting like a bitch, but the pain has stopped escalating I think," said Link gratefully. Scratching his chin, Renado then remembers something.

"I have one more thing that might be effective, hold on, I'll be right back," said Renado, then strode out of the room. Sheik moved closer.

"This could be a poison, or just a spell designed to cause harm from a distance," said Sheik, looking at the Hero's wound.

"Thank you for that," said Link sarcastically, "I feel so much better now that I know what is _causing _this Goddess forsaken pain,"

"My apologies Hero, I was thinking aloud," said Sheik. Link groaned.

_This feels nothing like I've ever felt before…what the hell did those damn shadows do to me?_

Link then felt Icesis curl back into his side.

"Well, I guess your forgiven for stealing my bacon, since I'm sure no one would have noticed this if it hadn't been for you," Said Link softly to Icesis. She looked up at him and licked his nose, but then swatted his face once before meowing and laying back at his side, as if to say, _good, cause I hope you know it's bound to happen again. _

Link shook his head, laughing slightly, then turned wincing onto his back. Icesis decided that she'd like the view from his belly, so she crawled onto of it and curled into a ball.

Renado came striding back into the room holding a bottle full of sparkling silver liquid. Link eyed it suspiciously.

"I thought potions weren't going to be effective?" asked Link cautiously. Renado walked up to the bed and sat at Link's side.

"This is a potion that I was told would cure pretty much anything. It is the only thing I can think of that is stronger then blue potion. I've tried it myself and am amazed at the results. It took just a sip of this to heal what a whole bottle of red potion couldn't handle," said Renaldo, "I'll just put a small amount on to see how you react to it,"

Link nodded, watching Renado pouring the sparkling silver liquid onto a towel, then tensed once he lifted his arm to apply it. Gently placing the towel on Link's wound, he stopped to see Link's reaction. The Hero was amazed when the pain started to dull.

"It's working!" said Link gratefully. Renado sighed with relief, then poured more onto the towel. They used only a third of the potion, so Renado rebandaged his arm. Link stretched out his right arm, and let out a sigh of relief when he felt no pain.

"It didn't heal your wound completely, and this is the only bottle I have of this potion so you both best go to Hyrule Castle Town to find someone selling it, for that was where I originally found it, " said Renado.

"Cool, what's it called?" asked Link as he placed his right arm so it was curved around Icesis, then bent his hand and scratched her behind the ears.

"I believed he called it _The Goddess's Tears._ I have no idea what it is actually made of but it works wonders," said Renado, then looked to the side, wrinkling his forehead in thought, " It was quite an interesting experience actually…for at first, I thought the young man who sold it to me was you," said Renado to Link. Link gave him a puzzled look.

"Huh? I've never sold anything before," said Link.

"I only thought that because he bore a striking resemblance to you, except another three or four years older…maybe you'll meet him when you leave," said Renado, then stood up.

"Perfect, I can talk to Zelda while I'm there," said Link happily, then tried getting out of bed, but Renado pushed him back down.

"No, Link. You didn't sleep very long, so you can leave for Hyrule Castle Town in a few hours," said Renado sternly, silencing Link's protest with a hard look. He then got up and headed for the door.

"You should rest as well Sheik, you also didn't get much sleep," said Renado then left the room. Sheik sighed, then looked up at the Hero.

"Hero…if you wish, I can teleport us to the Princess's private garden once you have rested," said Sheik as he stood up from the bed. Link gave him an astonished look.

"What? You can do that and not get arrested?" asked Link wide eyed. Sheik chuckled at his expression.

"Yes, The Princess is an old friend of mine," said Sheik as he walked over to the doorway. Link blinked.

"She's never mentioned you," said Link. Sheik stopped at the doorway and looked back at the Hero.

"That is because her family is not fond of my race…I actually learned stealth at a young age mostly because I would always avoid the nobles of the castle. I doubt she has told anyone of me though," said Sheik. Link nodded, then laid down.

"Fine, three hours then?" asked Link.

"As you wish," said Sheik then he left for his own room. Icesis, comfortable where she was, began to purr loudly. Sighing, Link laid his arm down by his side and closed his eyes.

_It's been awhile since I've seen Zelda, maybe she'll have an idea of what the hell is going on here…_


	8. Chapter 8

Sheik knocked on Link's door, but didn't hear a response. He knocked again a little louder. Still nothing, so Sheik cautiously opened the Hero's door only to be bombarded with the loudest snore he had ever heard.

Sheik walked up to the bed and laughed softly when he saw a paw appear from the other side of Link's face and swat at his nose, making Link snort in his sleep and quiet his snoring. Standing next to Link, the Sheikah then saw Icesis lying next to Link's head. She gave him a sleepy look, as if to say, "_You don't know how many times I had to do that…"_

Smiling, Sheik then gently shook the Hero, trying to wake him. Link stirred, mumbling as he turned around toward Sheik, but then continued to snore. Frowning, Sheik shook him a bit harder this time.

"Ngh…five more minutes Ilia…" mumbled Link as he shoved his face deeper into his pillow. Sheik sighed.

"Hero…wake up," said Sheik as he shook him harder. Link finally cracked an eye open.

"Wha…? Oh Sheik, it's been three hours already?" asked Link as he turned onto his back then threw his left arm over his eyes. Icesis left Link's pillow to perch on his chest, meowing for her owner's attention.

"It has been almost four hours Hero…I woke you up an hour ago but you obviously went back to sleep. Looks like I should have woken you manually instead of just knocking," said Sheik as he picked up his cat and held her, stroking the fur on her back. Link groaned then he pulled the covers off of himself.

"Oh yeah…sorry, not much of a morning person," said Link as he stretched then got out of bed. Sheik raised an eyebrow.

"It is mid-afternoon, Hero," said Sheik as he moved to the door, then turned and stood beside it.

"Well, it's morning for me," said Link as he walked over to his window.

"I see…" said Sheik frowning before his eyes widened as Link striped off his brown night shirt and reached for his white under shirt. He quickly turned around. "I will meet you at the spring," then strode out of the room.

"Ok," said Link turning around, but Sheik was already gone. Shrugging, Link put his white under shirt on then his tunic over it. After pulling on his boots, Link went straight to the spring.

Once he reached the spring, Link noticed the Sheikah standing near the edge of the water, petting his stallion's neck. Maelstrom was busy nuzzling Epona, whose ears perked up once she saw him approach. Laughing as he walked up to her side, he stroked her neck as well.

"Sorry girl, but we're taking the quick way today…right?" asked Link as he looked up at Sheik for confirmation who nodded in return.

"I am ready when you are," said Sheik, then set Icesis up on Maelstrom's back. She meowed sadly, trying to climb back into his arms, but Sheik stepped back.

"No Icesis, you don't like Zelda anyway and I can't risk you wandering around again…not after the trouble you caused the last time," said Sheik, then scratched her behind the ears before walking up to Link's side.

"What kind of trouble could a cat have caused?" asked Link. Sheik gave Icesis a glare, who gave an innocent look in return.

"It's a long story…but lets just say the one time Zelda happened to convince me to go into town with her, ended up being a catastrophe when both her and Zelda became a bit over protective…I shouldn't have been with the princess to begin with, but she _insisted _we go to the town's square…it doesn't matter though, it's in the past. Now, are you ready?" asked Sheik. Link nodded hesitantly.

"Why was it such a big deal that you guys were going to the square? And 'a bit over protective'? From what?" Link asked as Sheik placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"…I can understand why you would be confused…you've never seen how Hyrulians react around my race, with the exception of a few such as your friends here, most are not fond of us. Which is why I was always refusing to go anywhere with the princess, for it would surely just cause trouble for her. But I _still _don't know how she convinced me to go with her that time…anyway, I'm sure you will see for yourself what I'm talking about once we enter town to search for that potion," said Sheik.

"Alright, then let's do this," said Link, then smirked. "Hopefully we won't catch her unawares…" Link laughed as Sheik gave him a pointed look.

"Yes…I'm sure that would just make your day," said Sheik rolling his eyes and then teleported away.

Fate must have heard the Hero's statement, for just when they appeared within the princess's private garden, the princess herself was taking a drink of her tea. The sudden appearance of them in front of her caused that tea to come shooting out of her mouth.

Link bent over laughing as Sheik put his hand over his mouth, trying to stop himself from imitating him.

"You scared the living day lights out of me! My Goddess's…" said Zelda as she put a hand over her heart and then noticed who had appeared before her. "Link? Since when did you know Sheik?" She got up and walked over to them.

"You're not aware of last night's attack then?" asked Sheik as the princess pulled them both into a hug. She suddenly pushed them at arms length, looking shocked.

"What attack?" she asked worriedly. Sheik looked over at Link.

"Well, I think the Hero has a better idea of it then me, for I barely got there just as they were going to end his life," said Sheik as Zelda stepped back. She looked wide eyed at Link.

"What? Something almost _killed _you?" Zelda exclaimed to Link then rushed over to him. "Are you alright? What attacked you?" Link put up his hands.

"Whoa, Zelda! I'm alright, really, just got a little banged up that's all-" started Link but Sheik cut him off.

"A little banged up Hero? You lost the use of your sword arm and to enemies that seemed built to take you down," said Sheik, giving the Hero a hard look, who returned it. Zelda ran a hand through her hair.

"Alright just start from the beginning, if you please," said the princess. Link nodded and retold everything that had happened that night then stopped, thinking when he finished.

"I forgot to get the kids to tell me the story from their point of view…" Link said as he took a seat on the bench that the princess had previously sat on. Zelda followed, sitting beside him, then looked at Sheik and patted the sit next to her. Sheik took the hint and sat beside her.

"I take it that you have no idea what's going on then?" asked Link to Zelda. She shook her head, then laid it down and covered her face with her hands.

"I've been so busy with Victor making it back that I haven't had time for much else…" Zelda said as she lifted up her head up again. Sheik nodded, but Link looked confused.

"Who's Victor?" asked Link puzzled.

"Oh I never told you about him, did I? Victor's my younger brother. My father had sent him away when the Twilight Incident happened, but I refused to leave, and up until three days ago I thought he was dead," said Zelda, then she smiled softly. "I'm just glad that at lest one part of my family is safe, but I'm so sorry Link…if I'd known this…" Link waved his hand, shaking his head.

"It's fine Zelda, there's no way you could have known, but thanks anyway," said Link, smiling weakly at her. Zelda suddenly stood up, her face hard.

"I'll find whoever did this, mark my words. They will regret hurting my people," said Zelda. She walked toward her quarters, then stopped and turned around. "I'll send soldiers to Ordon, but are you two going to stay here? I'll have rooms set up," said Zelda, but Link quickly shook his head, Sheik following his example.

"I'll never get any peace if I stay here, and I've already got a room in Kakariko so I'll be fine," said Link as he stood up. Sheik stood up as well, but approached the princess and whispered something to her. She looked puzzled but nodded her head.

"Alright, in the usual place then?" asked Zelda to Sheik. He nodded, then turned and walked to Link's side. Link looked at Sheik curiously, but he shook his head.

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with right now Hero," said Sheik as he crossed his arms. "But I suggest we look for that potion and return to Kakariko immediately, for I would like to leave for the Sacred Groove by morning. Is that fine with you?" asked Sheik. Link shrugged.

"Sure, the sooner we do this the better," said Link. Sheik nodded.

"We'll catch up later, alright? Next time I'll introduce you to Victor, Link. I'm sure you guys would get along," said Zelda then nodded to both of them, turned and walked into her quarters.

"Shall we go?" asked Sheik. Link nodded. Sheik then put a hand on his right shoulder again and teleported to the southern gates of Hyrule Castle Town.

Link rubbed his hands together then walked into town, Sheik following behind him.

"Alright, so we are looking for something like this…" Link said as he pulled out the silver Goddess's Tears. "Hmmm, if I were a powerful potion like this…where would I be?" Looking to his right, Link noticed a familiar stairway.

"Hey! Let's go to Telma's Bar. Maybe one of the guys will know this Link look-a-like," said Link. Sheik was puzzled.

"Guys?" Sheik asked as they walked down the stairway.

"You'll see. Hopefully everyone's there," said Link as he neared the door to Telma's Bar. Link opened the door and walked inside. Sheik followed him and decided he liked the feel of this place. It didn't stink purely of alcohol or full of rowdy drunken men looking to start a fight.

Sheik then noticed the white cat that sat next to the bar. She got up and inspected him just as Link walked up to whom Sheik guessed was the bar tender and started chatting with her. He bent down to pet the white cat once she started to rub against his leg.

"Oh, and this is Sheik, he's…ah, a friend that I met two days ago," said Link as he suddenly gestured toward Sheik. The Sheikah straightened, then jerked away startled when the red headed bar tender suddenly was less then an inch away from his face. She laughed then raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry for startling you honey, just never had a Sheikah come into my bar before. You seem nice enough though. I'm Telma," she smiled at him. "As for _you _Link, why haven't I seen you lately? As soon as Hyrule is saved you just up and disappear," said Telma as she put her hands on her hips. Link ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

"Well, it's a long story…can I have a drink though? I'm going to need it, I think," said Link as he sat at the bar. He gestured for Sheik to sit down as well, but the Sheikah walked to his left side and leaned on the bar instead.

"I don't like not seeing what is behind me," said Sheik as Telma gave the Hero a shot of some strange looking red liquor. Link shrugged and downed the shot. He suddenly had a sour look on his face.

"Holy crap, that stuff is strong! Give me another one, will you?" asked Link to Telma. She laughed.

"Alright honey, but this is the last one. I've seen what this baby can do to people and most of them had less then _three _shots. What do you think of it by the way? I just ordered it a few days ago," asked Telma as she poured Link another one. "Oh, would you like one honey?" Sheik shook his head.

"No, thank you," said Sheik, then started to pet the white cat when she jumped up onto the counter next to him.

"What? Is drinking not your thing?" asked Link. Sheik raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't know Hero. Since legally, I'm too young to drink and therefore I don't know if drinking is my…thing," said Sheik, secretly smirking when Link had a look of amazement on his face.

"Whoa, _what_? Just how young are you?" asked Link.

"I'm sixteen," said Sheik, then couldn't help but laugh softly at the look of utter disbelief on Link's face.

"No way! Your not sixteen, you look the same age as I do," said Link.

"I promise you Hero, I am sixteen…though I will be seventeen in two weeks," said Sheik as he accepted a glass of water from Telma. "Thank you."

"Alrighty then. At least I'm not the only one that can kick ass at a young age," said Link then downed his other shot, pulling the same sour face again.

"Now that all of that is all settled, how about you tell me why you've been gone all this time," said Telma.

"Alright…" said Link before telling her what had happened in the last few days.

"Oh my Goddess's, honey! That's horrible! I'm so sorry," said Telma, then reached over the bar and put a hand on Link's shoulder to offer comfort. "And thank you Sheik for saving this stubborn hero's ass. He would have been surely missed," Sheik bowed his head.

"I do what I must," said Sheik then resumed petting the white cat when she meowed at him.

"Louise! She isn't bothering you is she?" asked Telma. Sheik shook his head.

"No, she is fine," said Sheik as he scratched her behind the ears. Link snickered.

"Yeah, Sheik's a cat guy. He's even got a ninja cat of his own," said Link. Sheik just rolled his eyes then stood up.

"I suggest you start looking for that potion Hero. I will join you shortly," said Sheik, then began walking over toward the door.

"Huh? Where you going? I thought we'd work together to find the guy faster," said Link as he turned to look at Sheik. The Sheikah stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"I have something to discuss with the princess, but as I said, I will join you shortly. Besides…I doubt having me with you will find him faster," said Sheik before teleporting away.

"Well, that's a handy young man to have around," said Telma as she started to wipe the counter down. "He acts rather mature for his age. I wonder if all Sheikah are like that? Oh well, you tell your friend that he's welcome here anytime, alright honey? Now scram," said Telma.

"I take it you haven't seen this guy, then? He apparently looks a lot like me," said Link as he got up and headed for the door. Telma shook her head.

"Afraid not honey, but that is a rather scary thought…having multiple Links running around? The world wouldn't be able to handle them all," said Telma, laughing as Link shot her a glare.

"What are talking about? The world be in total balance because there'd be multiple 'me's. I mean who could you possibly think of to handle protecting a whole country or defeating a horrid monster but a whole group of Links?" Link said, smirking as Telma laughed then shooed him out.

Link raised his hands above his head as he climbed up the stairs.

_Alright, I guess it's time to go potion hunting…_

Link emerged right next to a Goron selling hot spring water. He waved at the Goron as he walked up to his stand.

"Hey, how's business going?" asked Link. The Goron looked over and a big toothy grin spread across his face.

"Brother Link! It has been awhile, but I'm selling even more hot spring water now then ever before! I guess the towns' folk like being full of energy," said the Goron. Link nodded and turned toward the line of people starting to form in front of the stand.

"Well, it looks like you have customers waiting, so I'll see you later. Oh! But first have you seen a merchant around here that looks like me?" asked Link. The Goron tilted his head.

"None that I can remember brother, sorry," said the Goron as he served a customer.

"It's fine. Just give me a holler if you spot this guy, ok?" asked Link. The Goron nodded then went back to his work.

Link continued to walk down the street, looking at the various stands, but didn't see any carrying anything unique like the potion he was searching for. He eventually went down other streets, but came to the same result.

_The fact that swarm's of fan girls and people stopping me to ask a million questions keep appearing around every corner certainly isn't helping..._

He spent over twenty minutes jogging around town looking for the merchant while trying to avoid as many pursuing fans as he possibly could before finally stopping to sit on the edge of the fountain in the town's square.

"This is absurd…" said Link as he tried to catch his breath, then cursed when he noticed a group of girls pointing at him and stood to leave when they started to head his way. He turned and headed toward the western gate, intending to just make a wide turn and go back to Telma's Bar, but suddenly caught sight of someone at the other side of the fountain.

His wild bleach blonde hair flew wild with the wind, as did the long green cape he wore. The man turned, seemingly heading to other way when their eyes suddenly met.

_My eyes…_

Link suddenly felt pain that pulsed from deep within his chest.

_What the hell…? This is different…it's not my arm this time…_

Link winced, clutching his chest as the pain got worse, then he was suddenly was bombarded by the group of fan girls. They crowded around him, fluttering their eye lashes and asking if he wanted some company. Link growled, trying to push them weakly away but then the pain suddenly stopped.

He quickly side stepped around them and ran to the other side of the fountain as they ran after him. Link cursed when he didn't spot the man.

_Damn women…now he got away!_

Link then sprinted down another street, heading toward the eastern gate and made a sharp right, making a wide turn and ended up on the street where he began this wild goose chase. Link quickly made his way over to the stairway and ran down. He then ran up to the door to Telma's Bar and swung it open before slamming it closed behind him. Link leaned against the door, heaving, as a black haired girl walked up to him.

"What's that all about?" She asked. Link just shook his head, then dragged his feet over to the bar and sat down. The girl followed him, taking a seat next to him.

"Just the usual. Trying to get something done but only managing to get ambushed by fan girls…thank the Goddess's you're not like that Ashei," said Link as he gratefully accepted a glass of water from Telma. He quickly downed it, wiping his face with his sleeve as he gave it back to her.

"So, has Sheik gotten back yet?" asked Link. Ashei tilted her head.

"Sheik? I take it that's a friend of yours, yeah?" asked Ashei. Link nodded.

"I just met him like two days ago. He saved my ass from being mauled from these shadow creatures," said Link. Ashei's eyes widened.

"Mauled? What could possibly be that powerful now? I thought the threat of anything that dangerous faded with the end of the Twilight Incident?" exclaimed Ashei, still staring wide eyed at Link. He just shook his head.

"Apparently not," said Link.

"Judging by the mass of females that are now crowding the street near here…I take it that you were hindered in your search, Hero?" asked a voice from behind them. Both Link and Ashei swung around. Link rolled his eyes, turning back toward the bar, while Ashei looked at Sheik in amazement.

"A Sheikah? That's pretty rare, yeah? Well I'm Ashei, apparently one of very few of Link's female friends," said Ashei, nodding at Sheik. Sheik nodded back.

"I see, it is a pleasure to meet you, but if you excuse us. Hero, we should be going. Night is approaching and I am quite certain that morning will be all that much harder for you the less amount of sleep you have before hand," said Sheik as he stood with his arms crossed by the door. Link sighed.

"Fine, maybe I'll have better luck catching the guy this time if you're with me," said Link as he stood up and walked over to Sheik. Link waved to the others as Sheik gave him a puzzled look.

"'This time'? You mean you actually met him?" asked Sheik as they walked outside.

"Well, I _would _have met him if it hadn't been for those girls crowding around me and blocking my view…and that sharp pain didn't help either," said Link as he scratched his head. Sheik swung toward him.

"What sharp pain? Is your arm hurting again?" asked Sheik as they reentered the street. They stopped right by the Goron's stand.

"No, it wasn't my arm that time. It almost felt like someone was grabbing my heart and trying to rip it from my chest," said Link as he looked down the street, relieved that he didn't see any fan girls around. "My arm's been totally fine, and I want to keep it that way, but this guy hasn't shown himself since I saw him at the square. Oh, and Renado was right. He could totally have been like an older twin of mine, except for the hair. Mine isn't _that _blonde or _that _wild," Link then looked back at Sheik.

"Well, I guess we could-" but Sheik was cut off as someone suddenly shoved him to the side.

"Watch where you're going _Sheikah_," spat a man as he passed by. Sheik straightened then stepped farther away from the street. Link glared after the man.

"What the hell? You were just standing there!" said Link, then attempted to storm after him, but Sheik caught his arm.

"No, Hero. It isn't worth it, but this is what I was talking about back in Kakariko, but anyway we should just head back. This potion seems to have a long time span, so you can merely come back later and find him," said Sheik. Link muttered under his breathe, but nodded and turned to the Goron.

Sheik walked to the other side of the street to give them privacy, but still kept a watchful eye on the Hero.

"Hello young Sheikah," said a voice from behind Sheik. He turned, curious at such a friendly tone but then did a double take when he saw the person.

The man looked almost exactly like Link, except that he seemed to be several years older, and as the Hero had said, his bleach blonde hair stood wild against the wind. Sheik was amazed. Even the strangers eyes were the same sapphire blue as the Hero's.

"Are you looking for something?" asked the Link look-a-like. Sheik shook himself out of his daze.

"We have a friend that bought a potion from you, a silver one, and it is now the only thing we have found to be effective for a particular problem we are having at the moment. Would you happen to have any more of it?" asked Sheik.

"I sure do. Say, you wouldn't be traveling with the Hero of Twilight would you?" asked the Link-look-a-like. Sheik nodded suspiciously.

"Wonderful! Then here, take these," said the Link-look-a-like before he swung a giant bag from his back to the ground before digging around inside and finally pulled out two bottles of the sparkling silver Goddess's Tears. He then handed them to Sheik. The Sheikah nodded then pulled a bag of coins out from the folds of his suit, but the Link-look-a-like shook his head.

"Please, take them. It's the least I could do for the man who saved us all. I'm a bit on the shy side though, otherwise I would give them to the Hero of Twilight myself," said the Link-look-a-like as he ran a hand through his wild hair. "Just remember that it can restore magic, health, and spiritual injuries, though it can't heal his arm. I'm afraid dark magic is the only thing it isn't good against. It also has a span of about two days. Oh! And I have something for you as well." Then the Link look-a-like dug into his bag again and pulled out a map then handed it to Sheik. The Sheikah raised an eyebrow. He was about to say that he didn't need a map, but his eyes widened when he noticed that this map had hidden spots on it, such as fairy fountains and secret passageways.

"Thank you," said Sheik as he looked the map over. The Link look-a-like laughed.

"Of course. You do seem like a knowledgeable young man…but even a good guide can get lost sometimes," said the Link look-a-like. Sheik's eyes widened in shock before quickly looking up at the stranger, but he was gone.

Sheik was looking up and down the street for the man until Link walked up to him.

"Ok, I'm ready…what's wrong?' asked Link as took a swig of the Hot Spring Water the Goron had given him. Sheik took a deep breath, shaking his head.

"Come, I will tell you when we arrive in Kakariko," said Sheik. Link looked puzzled but stepped nearer and let Sheik place a hand on his shoulder.

They teleported away just before Sheik realized that he never told the stranger that Link was part of their particular problem, or that his arm was injured. So how did he know? Or how did he even know about his own secret?


	9. Chapter 9

Sheik and Link appeared next to the spring. Epona was spooked when they appeared, but Maelstrom just resumed drinking. Link immediately sat down at the edge of the water and pulled off his boots then put his feet in the water. He sighed contently, as Sheik took a seat next to him.

"I guess Maelstrom is used to you teleporting," said Link as he laid on his back. Sheik remained in a sitting position.

"Yes, it took him awhile, but he eventually got used to me teleporting around our small town," said Sheik as he scooped water into his hands and then drunk it.

"So? What happened to make you so agitated in town?" said Link. Sheik then set the two bottles of Goddess's Tears next to Link, "What? You met him? Why did you teleport us away then! He could have had other unique stuff like it!"

"Because Hero, he…disappeared. I don't know if he is able to teleport or has a similar method, but if he had other unique wares…well he obliviously wasn't sticking around to show us," said Sheik, Icesis then trotted up near the edge of the water and crawled into Sheik's lap.

"Oh, well why didn't you just say that in the first place? Jeeze," said Link as he picked the bottles up and stuffed them into his pouch. Sheik rolled his eyes and was about to reply when Renado walked up to them.

"There you are, I take it you both went into town already?" asked Renado as he stood in front of them.

"Yeah, Sheik found the guy but I guess he didn't want to show his face to me…it almost seems now that he was avoiding me," Link said as he looked up at Renado.

"Well, most likely he was Hero…he did say he was a bit on the shy side…rather he meant around you or in general, well I don't know," said Sheik, also turning to face Renado.

"What? Alright Sheik, these kind of things would be useful to know _before _hand. What did you say when we first met? That we needed to communicate better? Well yeah, now I totally understand what you meant," Sheik looked at him in disbelief.

"That time I was referring to _you _Hero, _you _were the one that couldn't communicate properly and almost got us caught, and I didn't tell you that the merchant was shy because I thought that was rather self-explanatory when you couldn't find him during the half hour you spent out there, when I just happened to ran into him during the first five minutes of just _standing _there," said Sheik. Link was ready with a crude remark but Renado stepped in.

"Now now gentlemen, your supposed to be on the same team here, so don't fight. Oh, but Link I take it from the absence of your old one that you have no sword, so here, I'd like you to have this one," said Renado as he handed Link a new sword, "I know your right handed, but you should at lest learn the basics with your left hand if you are planning on leaving anytime soon. It would make us all sleep better at night if you did," then turned and walked away. Link sighed, running his right hand along the blade.

"Man, it feels like forever since I held a sword, even though its been like what, two days? Well, I feel much better just holding one, but I don't think there's anyone here that could train with me," said Link as he tried to remember if anyone in Kakariko knew how to wield a sword.

"Hero…" said Sheik but Link continued.

"I know, I know, it will hinder us, but I'd like to get back to using my _primary _way of defending myself, if you _don't _mind," said Link. Sheik sighed impatiently.

"I was going to say that _I _could train with you Hero, for I happen to be ambidextrous, so I could teach you from experience," said Sheik, giving the Hero a glare. Link blinked.

"Oh, I didn't know that. Oh man, Renado's right," said Link a he covered his face with his hands, "We, no I, need to stop fighting like this. Look Sheik, I'm sorry alright? I didn't mean to offend you," said Link as he sat up. Sheik's eyes softened, then he nodded.

"You should be careful what you say to people. Perception is key Hero, but it's alright. So, did you want to get started right away?" asked Sheik. Link grinned, then reached into Sheik's lap and picked up Icesis, then held her up to his face.

"You think you could give me some good luck? If your master fights just as wickedly with swords the same way he does with those daggers of his, then I'm about to get my ass handed to me," said Link, laughing as Icesis pawed his face meowing. He didn't notice the blush that spread across the small part of the Sheikah's face that wasn't covered with his shawl when he had reached into his lap.

Sheik quickly got up and strode over to Maelstrom. Link looked up puzzled.

"So we're not starting right away?" asked Link as he stood up, hoisting Icesis on his left shoulder as he went. Sheik stopped, and turned sideways toward the Hero, thankful that his shawl hid most of his face.

"I just need…to take a ride. I will join you shortly. Meet here in ten minutes?" asked the Sheikah. Link nodded.

"Alright, I'll go check out what Colin's doing then," said Link, then turned and walked away, Icesis still perched on his left shoulder with her tail wrapped around his neck as she enjoyed the view.

Sheik then hoisted himself onto Maelstrom's back and cantered out of town. Sheik rarely used a saddle. The few times he did was when he knew they were going on a long ride, and he never had much to carry, so packs were rather useless to him most of the time.

He rode out and immediately went into a gallop, running to his right and into a passageway that lead right past Kakariko's northern gate. He slowed Maelstrom to a canter again, then just let him go where he pleased.

Sheik was rather confused. He has never been so nervous around somebody before, and yet, he has lost count of how many times the Hero was able make his heart race, though there were plenty of times it beat with anger. Something else that was also rare with him, for he had been taught all his life to _not _broadcast his emotions to the world, and yet the Hero had been close to making him just explode on quite a few occasions.

Sheik was so deep in thought that he didn't notice that Maelstrom had his ears flat against his head until an arrow flew and pierced him just below his left shoulder blade. The impact knocked him off of Maelstrom's back and he landed hard on his right side with a cry of pain. Sheik looked up just in time to see a charging boar heading straight for him, but it suddenly veered to the left when Maelstrom skidded to a halt in front of him and reared screaming at it.

He quickly rolled away from a Bulblin that had attempted to bash him over the head with his club, but that placed him in front of charging boars again. He hadn't noticed that there were so many of them, what in the world was he thinking? He should have been paying attention to his surroundings!

Sheik now noticed that they had him surrounded, with Maelstrom running around in fright trying to avoid the arrows being shot at him. Sheik narrowed his eyes, then teleported out of the circle of Bulblin's, and on the other side near his panicking stallion, making them cry out in surprise and point where he was last. He quickly pulled out a dagger with his right hand and threw it at the Bulblin Archer trying to take down his horse, then called for Maelstrom.

Sheik quickly ran around randomly, avoiding the charging boars and throwing daggers at every Bulblin Archer he saw, then when Maelstrom was able to get close enough, Sheik threw himself onto his back and once he gripped his mane, the stallion bolted away.

They were easily able to avoid the club Bulblin's, but Sheik never thought to check if the Archer Bulblin's he'd already shot down were dead or not, which cost him, as one of the fallen Archers suddenly stood up in front of their path and shot an arrow at Maelstrom, piecing him near the right of his chest.

The stallion screamed in pain as he toppled to the ground, taking Sheik with him. The Sheikah hadn't known about the Archer Bulblin until Maelstrom's scream of pain, but by then it was to late, so Sheik was now caught under Maelstrom's body as he continued to scream in fright, but was now unable to stand.

Sheik heard the thundering hooves behind him, and swung around to see the charging boars heading his way, and just braced himself, for he could do nothing in this position, but then heard the whistling of another arrow, but this one also sounded like it was _hissing_.

Sheik then found out what it was as the line of charging boars suddenly veered in different directions when a blast suddenly knocked the Bulblin in front right off his boar. Sheik swung in the direction it came from just in time to see Link speed past on Epona, chasing the retreating Bulblins.

Link easily chased away the main group, but then either threw his Gale Boomerang at random Bulblin's, finishing them off with wild swings left handedly with his new sword or just hurled bombs at them. Soon he cleared the area.

Link quickly dismounted Epona when they neared where Sheik was pinned. He ran up and knelt next to Sheik, but the Sheikah waved him away. Closing his eyes, Sheik then teleported a few feet away, now free from under Maelstrom.

"Why didn't you just do that in the first place!" exclaimed Link. Sheik ran around toward Maelstrom's head though.

"Because I was distracted Hero, It would have been just as dangerous for me to teleport when I was so dazed as it would have been if I just stayed where I was, now please, Maelstrom was stroke with an arrow. Do you have any potions?" asked Sheik desperately. Link shook his head, but grabbed a hold of the Sheikah when he began to panic.

"Get a hold of yourself! Now, just teleport to town and get a red potion from Malo Mart ok? I'll stay here with Maelstrom," Sheik took a deep breath, then nodded and teleported away.

Link immediately noticed that Maelstrom wasn't being the lest bit suspicious of him, but taking a closer look, Link realized it was because he was fading fast.

_Sheik isn't going to make it in time…_

Thinking quickly, Link then slapped his forehead.

_Duh! How could I forget about The Goddess's Tears!_

So he quickly dug around in his pouch and finally pulling out the silver potion then poured some over his fingers. He gripped the arrow firmly while pressing his fingers against the wound to stop any flares of pain.

"Hang in there buddy, this isn't going to feel very good but bare with me ok?" said Link soothingly to the dieing stallion, who whined pitifully in response. Epona walked up beside the fallen stallion, nuzzling his neck.

Taking a deep breath, Link yanked the arrow out before quickly sticking his index finger through the wound, amazed when he immediately felt the wound began closing around his finger. Maelstrom jerked once, but was suddenly still as soon as the wound sealed itself. Link leaned back to inspect the now flawless chest of Maelstrom just when Sheik teleported back with Renado.

Once he saw his master, Maelstrom jumped to his feet and trotted up to him. Sheik stood there shocked, then bent down and saw that there was no wound. He looked over at the Hero, who was now checking to see if his own horse was alright.

"What happened Hero?" exclaimed Sheik as he gripped Maelstrom's mane, trying to keep his balance as the loss of blood began to get to him.

"Sorry, I forgot about the Goddess's Tears and decided to use it because I was pretty sure that you wouldn't have made it back in time, and I didn't even need more then two drops," said Link, seemingly satisfied that Epona was just fine. Sheik sighed with relief.

"That is a relief. Now Sheik, since you don't have an excuse anymore, you'd best let me take care of that arrow," said Renado, then strode over the Sheikah. Grumbling, the Sheikah then turned around and faced Maelstrom's back, putting his hands against him once he did. That's when Link noticed the arrow sticking out of Sheik's back, right when Renado went to work trying to remove it.

Renaldo skillfully removed the arrow with no hassle, then gave him the red potion.

"Well since Maelstrom doesn't need it, you might as well finish it," said Renado, then walked up to Link, "I suggest we leave the open field, but I would appreciate a ride Link if you don't mind," Link nodded then helped him onto Epona's back, then got up behind him.

"You ready Sheik?" asked Link as he looked back at the Sheikah. Sheik nodded after downing the red potion and putting the bottle within the folds of his suit. He then mounted Maelstrom and followed them back into Kakariko.

They were cantering through town when Icesis suddenly showed up and jumped onto the ledge of the bomb store, then leapt straight into Sheik's arms.

Link stopped to drop Renado off at his house, then went straight to the spring. Sheik followed once he thanked Renado properly.

"What in the world were you thinking?" exclaimed Link as Sheik neared the spring. After dismounting, Sheik turned toward the Hero with Icesis still within his arms.

"What do you mean?" asked Sheik, frowning.

"Colin was with the others playing some weird game so I turned around and went back to my horse and decided that you had the right idea. So I go for a little ride as well, but once I rounded that corner what did I see? You just _sitting _there as a whole horde of Bulblin's come charging at you! What could you have possibly been thinking about to distract you that much?" shouted Link. Sheik was speechless.

"I…ah…" started Sheik but couldn't think of what to say.

"You…_what_? Oh good Goddess's…I nearly had a heart attack right then!" shouted Link, stepping closer to the Sheikah, but then jumped back when Icesis suddenly hissed at him, then he took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair, "I was just shocked, I mean, your now one of the strongest people I've met so far…and because of _that_, I almost thought we had some kind of super Bulblin on our hands, but anyway, everyone's safe so lets just get some food, then hit the hay," said Link then turned and headed toward the Hotel. Sheik followed him, trying to smooth the hair standing up on Icesis's back as he went.

Sheik snorted to himself. How could he tell Link that the reason he was so distracted was because he was thinking only of him? That would have been a bit disturbing if someone told _him _that, so he would rather just keep that to himself. These strange feelings will soon go away, after all Link _was _the Hero of Twilight. You never just suddenly spend time with someone like _that_.

They entered the Hotel and were walking toward their rooms when Sheik suddenly thought of something.

"…Hero? If you can't even wield a sword in your right hand then how were you able to wield your bow?" asked Sheik as Link stopped in front of his door. Link suddenly grinned.

"With awesome skills and a shit load of pure luck. I was speeding toward you when you got pinned under Maelstrom, but I knew I wasn't going to reach you in time, so I improvised. Getting my bow out, I put the bomb on the arrow, then had Epona run toward the left. Then I notched the arrow with my left hand, then held the bow steady with my right foot, which was rather difficult on a moving horse might I add, then just let it go. I figured even if I missed my target I'd still hit one of them, which would break their line and that was what I was aiming for," said Link.

"What if _I _was that target you ended up hitting?" asked Sheik as he set Icesis down. Link humphed, then leaned on the doorway.

"Hey, beggars don't be choosers, I _could _have just let your ass get trampled, but I didn't did I? Which means we're even now. You saved my life, now I saved yours, and besides, my aim wasn't any where near you," said Link, then looked down as Icesis wrapped herself around his leg, "I guess your not mad at me anymore?" Then reached down and stroked her head. She gave him a hesitant look as if to say, _for now… _

"She's really taken a likening to you…anyone else would have most likely ended up like that child that opposed us back in Ordon," Sheik said as he watched Icesis rub her face against Link's hand. Link snickered.

"Yeah, I bet he'll think twice before messing with us. I mean who wouldn't when we have a ninja cat like this? Oh, and I'm totally going to find me a buddy like her. She actually would have been nice to have around like five months ago when I had no one to talk to but Midna, which wasn't a bad thing, its just that there's only so many times I can take the classic "why are you wearing a dress?" joke or how she used to tack on "Werewolf" to every other sentence when talking to me. I loved her like a sister but _dame_ there were so many times that I just wanted to stuff her into that helmet mask of hers and hurl her into Lake Hylia just so _she _knew what it was like," said Link as he straightened and opened his door. Sheik laughed fully, just imagining Link trying to handle raising a cat like Icesis in his small hometown.

Link smiled, then suddenly changed his mind and scooped up Icesis.

_I really like his laugh…Is that weird? Maybe it's because I hear it so rarely. _

"Hero, I would love to witness your first attempt at raising a cat like Icesis," said Sheik.

"Well your invited to watch as I _succeed _in raising my awesome future partner whenever I find him or her," said Link as he scratched Icesis behind the ears. Sheik just rolled his eyes, then reached for his cat, but Link pulled his arm away.

"Nope, Icesis wants to sleep with me, huh girl? You know, I wasn't much of a cat person before this, but she totally has convinced me other wise," said Link as he raised Icesis to his face, then grinned when she meowed happily just pawing his face. He snickered, sticking his tongue out at Sheik then quickly jumped into his room and shut the door.

Sheik just stood there stunned. Did the Hero of Twilight just stick his tongue at him? Then steal his cat? Why did he think that was horribly cute?

Grumbling, Sheik strode back to his room. Well, he hadn't been much of a people person until he met _Hero. _


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys thanks for the reviews!

To Xqueezme: You might be right about the kid in purple but as for who's blackmailing him...if you know him well I'd say your psychic! I've got original characters in this story to try and spice it up. Plus I love horses and cats.

To Sheikah Ninja: Lol, you have some pretty strong self control, I'd just burst out laughing, regardless of where I was. Heck, I do that sometimes when nothing is funny.

To Emperor Celest: thanks, I think good stories need to have at least some character development inside.

Enjoy everyone! This is my longest chapter ever, and the plot also thickens here.

* * *

Sheik approached Link's door the next morning and knocked, not surprised this time that he didn't get a response. He was surprised however, when he leaned closer to the door and didn't hear the Hero's insanely loud snoring. Could he actually be awake and just messing with him?

Opening the door cautiously, Sheik then snorted when he caught sight of the sleeping Hero. Of coarse it was to good to be true, but now he realized that he never heard Link's snoring because he had his face shoved into his pillow, muffling the sound. Icesis, liking the new position, laid curled on top of his lower back, but then perked her head up once she saw Sheik enter the room.

Sheik walked to the side of the bed and stroked her head as she meowed at him. Sheik shook Link's shoulder rather hard, but then stepped back suddenly when Link let out something that sounded similar to a growling dog. He stirred, turning his face to the left, but then slumbered on, his insanely loud snoring now perfectly clear.

Sighing impatiently, Sheik reached down to attempt to shake him again, until he had an idea.

"Icesis…_Da'fei_!" shouted Sheik suddenly. Reacting to the Sheikah command, Icesis shot straight up and hissed, digging her claws deep into Link's lower back, making him yelp and jump up in surprise.

"Holy crap! What was…Icesis? That was you?" Link said staring at Icesis who now sat near his left leg, calmly cleaning herself. Link then noticed Sheik standing there with his arms across his chest, looking down at the Hero.

"Are you ready to start your day, Hero?" Sheik asked smoothly then chuckled as Link gave him a glare.

"Did you really have to sick ninja cat on me?" Link grumbled as he pulled himself out of bed. Sheik raised an eyebrow.

"I could have spent another hour trying to get you up…I chose the quicker way. Now, I assume that you wish to have breakfast first before we leave?" asked Sheik as Link walked over to his tunic that he had laid out the night before.

"Of course, you should never start any Goddess forsaken morning without food to fuel you later…Man, I need to get this thing washed, it's starting to smell like monster guts," said Link as he sniffed his tunic only to jerk back with a look of disgust. Grabbing his white under shirt, Link then headed to the door.

"I'll go start on these if you'll get us breakfast, okay?" asked Link, but Sheik put a hand on his hip.

"You're really going to delay us because your tunic just smells a bit!" Sheik exclaimed staring hard at the Hero. Link raised an eyebrow and shoved his tunic into Sheik's face. The Sheikah hurled himself backward, almost falling on the bed, trying to escape the horrid smell.

"Oh my Goddess! That's disgusting…" said Sheik as he held a hand over his mouth. Link smirked.

"And that's the smell you're going to be traveling with. You ready for _that_?" asked Link, laughing as the Sheikah shot him a glare.

"Just go…just…just go," said Sheik waving at the Hero. Link laughed again and whistled as he walked out of the room and down the hall. Sheik shook his head, secretly smiling softly then frowned. _Don't get attached, this isn't going to last much longer._

Sheik picked up Icesis from the bed and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Walking down the hall, Sheik stopped at the desk receptionist and asked if she would bring the food out to the spring. She agreed, so Sheik headed over there but saw Link near Renado's house scrubbing his tunic on a submerged rock near the edge of the water.

Sheik set Icesis down and watched as she scampered off towards Link. He chuckled when Link let out a shout of surprise and fell into the spring when she pounced on his back. He walked over to Link just as he was stepping out of the water. Link gave him a frustrated look.

"Hey! I'm already awake, so why did you sick ninja cat on me again?" Link exclaimed as he put a hand on his hip. Sheik thought his wet hair framed his face nicely…_wait what_!

Sheik shook his head. "It was all Icesis this time Hero," then took a seat near the edge of the water. The women from the hotel came and set the food next to him, and left after accepting a thank you from Sheik.

Link just rolled his eyes, shooting Icesis a glare as she sat innocently next to Sheik, then walked up to where the tray was and sat down beside it. After throwing his tunic in the water, he dug into his food.

"So, what are we going to do once we reach the Sacred Groove?" asked Link as he munched on a biscuit.

"I assume once we find it, the path will reveal itself to you," said Sheik as he sipped his orange juice.

"So…not only do you not know where you're going, but you also don't know what to do if we even get there…Yeah, great plan," said Link as he gave Sheik a pointed look. The Sheikah returned it with a glare.

"I will scout ahead Hero, so eventually I _will _know where I'm going and I can do that before you even reach the forest's edge," said Sheik. Link raised an eyebrow.

"So what if I get attacked by some horrid monster that wants to devour me? Am I supposed to tell it to wait until you get back?" said Link.

"That will not happen if you stay within the safe boundaries of Kakariko. I can merely came back later once I have found the entrance to our destination," said Sheik, then stood up and strode over to Maelstrom, who stood with Epona near the edge of the water next to the other side of the spring.

"You don't have to scout ahead," said Link as he stood as well, picking up Icesis as he went. Sheik looked back at Link once he reached Maelstrom's side. Link picked up his soaked tunic and laid it on a rock to dry, next to his already clean white under shirt.

"What do you suggest we do then? Wander aimlessly around the forest until we find it?" asked Sheik as he gave the Hero a look of disbelieve. Link stared at him then suddenly burst out laughing.

"What is so funny!" exclaimed Sheik. Link calmed down, still chuckling as he hoisted Icesis onto his left shoulder.

"I'm just messing with you Sheik, I've been to the Sacred Groove and I also know you aren't getting anywhere near it with that damn Skull Kid screwing with everyone that's comes in there," said Link as he walked up to Epona. Sheik just stood there staring hard at Link.

"This is a serious matter, Hero! How can you joke about this!" exclaimed Sheik.

"Because, you'll just drive yourself _mad _if you worry and stress about every little thing. So, now I'm going to go get a brush. Epona seriously needs it, don't you girl?" asked Link as turned and headed into Renado's house.

Sheik just shook his head grumbling about _heroes_ and their _egos_ then sat back down near the edge of the water. Link soon came back with a brush and went straight to work on Epona.

Sheik merely watched him as Link would occasionally speak soothingly to Epona and pat her neck every once and a while. He obviously was just as attached to his horse as Sheik was to his. He smiled softly, it isn't very often he would meet someone with similar interests and actually treated him like a normal person.

He shook his head, frowning. What is wrong with him? He should know not to get attached, especially if that person didn't want him around to begin with.

Link stepped back and nodded, satisfied.

"Are you going to brush Maelstrom?" asked Link. Sheik stood up and walked over to him.

"Your tunic doesn't look dry yet, so I might as well," said Sheik walking up to Maelstrom and began brushing him. Link took a seat near the edge and got a face full of Icesis as soon as he did, since she decided that Link needed to play with her now.

Minutes later, Sheik finished and turned to return the brush then stopped and chuckled when he saw Link rolling on the floor with Icesis pouncing on him every time he managed to get away.

"Your tunic looks dry now, so we best be going," said Sheik. Link looked up at him from his position on the ground, while Icesis looked up at him from her position on his back. Link grinned.

"Finally, let's get going then," said Link as Icesis jumped off his back when he got up, then walked over to his tunic and threw it over his head.

"Still a bit damp, but it is getting hot so that isn't that much of a bad thing. I think I might even dunk it if it gets any hotter," said Link as he strode over to Epona after getting a hold of Icesis, hoisted himself on her back. After letting Icesis climb back onto his shoulder, Link walked Epona toward the exit.

Sheik jumped onto Maelstrom's back and quickly followed Link. As they left Kakariko, Sheik couldn't help but chuckle as an excited Icesis swung her head in a different direction every few seconds because she would see something interesting but then see something else.

"So, I'd say we'll get there in…an hour and a half maybe? Well, that mainly depends on what mood the Skull Kid is in. There was one time when he was in such a bad mood that he wouldn't show up for like twenty minutes, and once he did, he would shoot these seeds at me. Geez, the kid is lucky I didn't blast his ass into next Tuesday," grumbled Link. Sheik gave him a strange look.

"Who is this Skull Kid? Surely a child isn't the Sacred Grooves Guardian?" asked Sheik.

"Oh you would be surprised what kind of guardians the goddess's have for anywhere that represents them, but as for the Sacred Groove, well, technically the Skull Kid is actually the guide who allows only those he thinks won't be a threat to enter the place," said Link as they past the bridge outside of Kakariko.

Sheik then stayed silent as they entered Hyrule field, scanning the area. He was not going to be taken by surprise this time. Icesis seemed to have had enough of the scenery, for she climbed over onto Link's other shoulder and then leapt into Sheik's arms. Sheik noticed the wince Link made as she leapt from his right shoulder, even though he tried so hard to hide it.

Sheik laid Icesis behind him and turned slightly to check if Link was still in pain, but he seemed to be fine now.

Twenty minutes later, they neared the entryway of Faron Woods and Sheik ran ahead to block Link's path. Link gave him a puzzled look.

"Hero, we don't know if those shadows are still within this forest. I will lead the way, but I won't risk Icesis coming along so I will have her wait here. The horses should stay as well. It won't do if they get attacked by creatures they can not see and I can't keep them away from all of you," said Sheik. Link shook his head though.

"No way, Coro would have left for his sisters by now, so I'm not tying Epona down when there's no one here to let her lose should these things attack. But Trill should be fine watching them. He was when I left her there the few times I went to the Sacred Groove before," said Link as he walked around Maelstrom. Sheik turned and followed.

"Who is Trill?" asked Sheik.

"He's Coro's pet bird, but don't underestimate him, he's pretty intelligent. He runs Coro's shop near the forest temple, because Coro, for some reason, thinks there will be so many people just wandering into the forest looking for potions," said Link as they passed Coro's house. Sheik followed, thinking that at least leaving there horses with this _intelligent bird_ is better then just leaving them to fend for themselves. Link then suddenly headed toward the right and into a cavern. Sheik had to slow Maelstrom down and got behind Epona as the path got narrower. Eventually he had to lean over on Maelstrom's back to avoid running into the roof.

They both emerged out of the cavern but then suddenly stopped.

"What! This crap vanished when I beat the Forest Temple! Why is it suddenly much worse!" exclaimed Link as he stared at the thick fog that covered the area in front of them. The thin outline of trees could barely be seen from their position, the small pier was clearly visible, but not anything past it. Sheik had Maelstrom walked a few feet in front of Epona, but the thick fog hid everything past the pier, no matter how close Sheik got.

"I don't like this Hero, it would be easy for someone to ambush us in there and I won't be able to help if I can't see you," said Sheik as he had Maelstrom stand next to Epona. Link tried scanning the area, but couldn't see an alternate path.

"I don't think there's any other way into that area up ahead unless we pass through this…maybe if you teleported us there?" asked Link, but Sheik shook his head.

"Our combined weight would drain me of most of my energy, not to mention that I wouldn't know where I'd be teleporting _to_. And if there's a chance that we might run into creatures like those shadows, then I would rather not risk that," said Sheik, also trying to find an alternate path, but also coming up with none.

"Well, then we don't have any other option. We'll have to cross this fog, but we'll need something like a rope or something so we don't lose each other. Oh! What about your whip? That way you'll already have it out in case we need it," said Link. Sheik considered it then nodded.

"Alright, but you are to stay behind me, _that is non negotiable_," said Sheik as Link began to protest. "Or have you forgotten what it is like to fight something that was seemingly created to match your fighting style? It will be harder for them to take me on, which will give you a chance to avoid them should they come after you," he reached into the folds of his suit and pulled out his whip.

Link grumbled, but stayed where he was as Sheik walked Maelstrom in front of Epona. Once they reached the pier, Link started when Sheik suddenly snapped his whip and wrapped its coil around his saddle horn.

"You could have warned me first," grumbled Link as he gripped the coils with his right hand then unsheathed his sword with his left. He held it awkwardly to the side, then tried twirling it, but fumbled and almost dropped it. He cursed, now gripping its hilt.

"Dammit…I feel so useless. I can't even do something I used to with ease no more then three days ago! Fucking shadows…" growled Link, glaring at his right arm as if that would make the wound disappear. Sheik turned and looked at him and sighed when he saw the Hero lift his sword to his eye level, lengthening it out, then tried twirling it again, but only managed to fumble and actually drop it this time. Sheik quickly caught the handle before it hit the ground and handed it back to Link.

"Hero…don't let this bring you down, you are better then that. Don't you remember what it was like before you knew the way of the sword? It takes time, and by the time you learn to wield one with your left hand there's a good chance your right one could have healed by then, which would make you ambidextrous, and I'm certain you'll use that to your advantage to…how would you say…_'kick some ass'_ at double the power perhaps?" said Sheik as Link gripped his blade's hilt. The Hero closed his eyes, then faced the Sheikah and flashed him a half smile.

"Thanks…your right, I still remember those long summers when Rusl would train me hard… he was a good teacher, but now he's gone, like everyone else… I'll free them, I'll free them all if it's the last thing I do," said Link, his voice now strong with faith as he held the side of his blade across his chest, then placed it firmly at his side. He nodded to Sheik.

"Alright, let's do this! Lead the way Sheiky!" said Link grinning and then stopped suddenly as Sheik blinked then raised an eyebrow. Link then laughed nervously.

"Sorry, don't know where that name came from," said Link sheepishly, scratching his head. The Sheikah secretly smiled gently, turning his head toward the thick fog.

"I don't think you meant to use it in an offensive way, so I don't mind," said Sheik. He suddenly looked startled, swung to look behind him then spun his head in every direction searching the surrounding around.

"I don't think you're going to see any enemies from here," said Link as he squinted, trying to see through the thick fog, but Sheik then swung toward him with a wild look in his eyes.

"Is Icesis with you!" asked Sheik. Link looked behind him, then also searched the area, but didn't see her.

"Man, I didn't even see or hear her leave. She really is a ninja cat…Sheik! Calm down, did you just here what I said? She's too fast for anything in this place. Just wait, I bet she'll be waiting for us on the other side! She probably just got impatient and left," said Link as he placed a hand on the Sheikah's shoulder. Sheik seemed to calm down a bit. He nodded his thanks and moved forward.

Maelstrom didn't want anything to do with this thick fog, but Sheik was skillfully able to urge him forward with Epona following close behind.

"Just keep to the right, the gate is almost a straight right turn from the pier," said Link as they neared the thick fog.

Sheik immediately lost his visibility as soon as he entered the thick blanket of fog.

"Hero, I would appreciate it if you would hold onto the coils around your saddle horn and jerk it every few seconds so I know your still there," said Sheik as he gripped the handle of his whip harder, then jerked his other hand to cause daggers to appear in between each knuckle. Sheik held the daggers up close to his chest, ready to throw them at a moment's notice.

"Okay," said Link, then jerked it three times and laughed. "If this wasn't such a serious matter within a dangerous place I would say this was kinda fun. I mean the kids would love this kind of environment and I wouldn't mind it myself if it wasn't for the whole we might be ambushed thing, but…you know what? This would have been a cool place to face Ganon. I mean with Midna with me, she could have just taken us into the trees," Link then snickered. "Can you even imagine what Ganon would be saying in a situation like that? He'd be cursing up a storm, man that would be hilarious…" Link then humphed. "But being the destructive bastard he is, the forest would probably be a burning wasteland in a matter of minutes. But then again Midna could just teleport and his blasts somewhere else…"

"Hero…" said Sheik but Link continued.

"But then the blasts could hit someone, huh? Or even an entire area, the Goddess's know the bastard would probably be strong enough for it, but then that would be funny too! Well, not the destroying an area part, but can you imagine a bunch of nobles just eating in their fancy dining rooms, then this huge surge of power just appears out of nowhere and just blows the table into smithereens?" said Link, chuckling.

"Hero!" shouted Sheik. Link reacted, and brought his sword up, ready to start slashing people.

"What! I knew it! I knew we'd get attacked!" shouted Link as he swung in every direction trying to find a target to slash.

"Hero! Calm yourself, we are safe," said Sheik as he sat calming on Maelstrom's back in front of him. Link then took a moment to look around properly.

_What! How long have we been standing on the other side!_

"I can't believe it, but you talked this entire time, even as we already reached this side and climbed up the slope and then stood here for a good five minutes…and you still continued to talk," said Sheik then bent over laughing as Link gave him a look of astonishment.

"Wow, that was rather…anticlimactic. Hey! Don't laugh! You could have told me we were here you know!" exclaimed Link, but couldn't help but laugh with him.

"I did tell you Hero. You just didn't listen to the two times when I tried," said Sheik, "But we should get moving, though I have to say that having you talk for the entire time wasn't entirely a bad thing. It did let me know you were there..._at all times_ and seemed to be much more effective then jerking my whip, which you still need to uncoil from your saddle horn by the way, but then again I was rather nervous that your continuous talking would attract enemies but that obviously wasn't a problem," he then kicked Maelstrom into a canter. Link rolled his eyes and kicked Epona into a canter as well.

They rounded a corner and finally saw the small shop and Trill jumping from plank to plank of the fence that stood in front of it.

_What the heck is that bird doing now?_

Link then noticed something white running up and down in front of the fence, occasionally jumping up onto the planks, obviously chasing the bright blue bird.

"Icesis!" Sheik suddenly yelled. He kicked Maelstrom into a gallop just as Icesis skidded to a stop and swung in his direction. Sheik skid Maelstrom to a stop just as Icesis jumped on the closest plank of the fence and jumped into his arms. Sheik caught her then held her close.

"What in the world has gotten into you? You never just run off…I think your spending to much time with Hero," muttered the Sheikah as she rubbed her face up against his neck. Link sighed, relived.

"Is that your cat? Good, take it away please. It's rather hard to do my job when something is trying to eat me," said the bright blue bird that suddenly jumped to the plank closest to Sheik, startling him.

"Trill, Old Buddy, I need a favor-," started Link as Epona walked up to the shop, but Trill cut him off.

"No, you can't pay me next time. You still owe me for the last Red Potion you took!" said Trill, flapping his wings angrily. Link held up his hands.

"Hey, I'm working on it, but that's not what I was going say. Sheik and I need to go to the Sacred Groove, so can you watch the horses? And Icesis?" asked Link.

"Sure, I mean it's not like I actually have a _job _to do," said Trill sarcastically. Link rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, who buys potions from you other then me?…No one? Didn't think so, now you think you could do me that small favor? It's not like I'm asking for much," said Link, then dismounted.

"Oh fine, but the cat goes. I'm not playing cat and mouse while you guys are gone," said Trill then flew up to the roof of his small shop.

"Alright, you can handle that, right Sheik?" asked Link as Sheik dismounted. The Sheikah turned toward him, giving him a pointed look, then walked toward the Forest Temple with Icesis still held against his chest. Link quickly thanked Trill then ran after Sheik.

"Whoa, wait! Wrong way," said Link as he caught up to Sheik. The Sheikah stared at the Temple.

"My mother used to tell me stories about this place…It's quite a different experience to actually see it," said Sheik as he gazed at the temple, but then turned to face Link. "Alright so which way are we heading then?" asked Sheik. Link pointed to his left, right past a wall with a seemingly endless drop on the other side.

"Oh, but of course it can't be just a bridge or some kind of solid pathway. No, just the classical 'you drop, you die' way," grumbled Sheik as he walked over near the edge and peered over.

"Well…we could do our own thing and just whip and Clawshot over there, but that might be hard with Icesis with us and I won't be able to have a solid grip on her with my right hand…hey you said that you can't teleport unless you see where your going right? Well, I'm pretty sure you can see the ledge we need to land on if we climb the pathway leading to the Forest Temple," said Link.

"I guess we have no other choice. Alright lets try it," said Sheik. They both traveled up the path and just as the Hero said, Sheik was able to see the ledge that lead into another area. People could easily miss that if they weren't looking for it.

"It's not as far as I had anticipated. I doubt it will take much energy, even with two others with me," said Sheik.

"That's good…because you might have to do it again…okay, maybe two or three more times…or something," said Link, then Sheik turned an gave him a pointed look, "Alright so I don't remember, but I know its not much farther," then gestured toward the far ledge. Rolling his eyes, Sheik teleported them.

Four teleports later, they both stood in front of the entrance to the Sacred Groove.

"Here we are! Now I bet your arm needs a break so give that little feline to me," said Link and he took Icesis from his arms. Sheik was stunned. Anyone else that tried to take her from his arms would get their eyes scratched out, but Icesis was obviously growing fond of Link since she had no problem with him holding her. She climbed in her seemingly favorite spot on top of his left shoulder.

Sheik shook his head quickly as Link called out to him, then hurried after him. Once inside the Sacred Groove, Sheik had to stop and admire the place. This definitely wasn't like any forest he'd ever been to, it just had a mystical feel to it. He looked up, the tall trees hid most of the sky but the light cascading down in between the branches gave the place a rather holy atmosphere.

"Welcome to the Sacred Groove," said Link as he bowed slightly, laughing as Icesis leapt from his shoulder to inspect the area. "Alright, I need to summon the brat and that can be done over here," Link walked over to a rounded stone with a Triforce symbol in the center. Sheik gazed at it.

"That looks a lot like a Gossip Stone," said Sheik, still gazing at the stone. Link looked back at him with a puzzled look.

"What's a Gossip Stone?" asked Link.

"My race, as Renado had said, is rather introverted, or had been, but we created these stones that would normally just tell the time, but will also tell secrets if the listener is able to hear the truth," said Sheik as he stood next to Link.

"Huh? How can someone just _hear _the truth? That doesn't make sense. It's like if someone could just _see _the truth, but that's why it's called _invisible_, because you can't see it," said Link, trying to wrap his mind around what Sheik was saying. Sheik raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we have created certain items. The Mask of Truth and the Lens of Truth is among those items that give the wielder the ability to see or hear the truth, but seeing the truth naturally is a possibility. My race has proved that for centuries," said Sheik.

"What? Wait, so you mean you can actually _see _the truth?" asked Link. Sheik nodded. "Man! That's awesome!"

Sheik chuckled. "How do you think I was able to effectively rid you of all those invisible shadows the night they attacked you? Because they were as visible to me as this tree standing beside us," he patted the tree next to them to emphasize his point.

"Man, I wish you were around when we went through the Arbiters Grounds. Would have saved both Midna and I a serious headache, but anyway, I'm going to summon the brat now so get ready," said Link, then turned but then suddenly stopped, just as Sheik was wondering what he was getting ready _for_.

"Oh man, I just realized…I only ever done this as a wolf, but maybe something else will work?" asked Link to no one in particular. Sheik however, swore he just heard the Hero wrong.

"Did you just say…you only ever done that as a _wolf_?" asked Sheik. Link simply nodded then went back to trying to figure out what to do to summon the Skull Kid. Sheik was flabbergasted.

"What? Is that some kind of warrior term? Or something that is used to describe the Great Heroes?" asked Sheik. Link gave him a weird look.

"No, it means just what it says, ''when I was a wolf'. You know, fur, fangs, and canine looking? Well, except for this weird design on my forehead, but other then that, I was just an average looking wolf," said Link. Sheik stared wide eyed at him.

"What…? How…?" started Sheik, but Link chuckled.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later, but as for our little problem, can you think of any other way to summon the brat?" asked Link. Sheik took a deep breath then rubbed his temples.

"How did you summon him the last time?" asked Sheik.

"As a wolf, I was able to hear this sound coming off the stone, so I howled it and pop! There was the Skull Kid and all his irritating man sized puppets," said Link. Sheik raised an eyesbrow, but decided not to ask.

"Well, can you remember the sound?" asked Sheik. Link nodded.

"It's weird, I can forget things pretty easily, but sometimes, there will be these weird things, like songs or names that sound familiar or pathways that I for some reason just know about that will stick to my memory more then anything else," said Link looking off to the side, then turned back to face Sheik just as he pulled a flute from the folds of his suit.

_What! How much stuff does he have in there?_

Sheik then held the flute up to his face. "Just hum the sound and I will try to duplicate it," nodding Link hummed the sound. Sheik then gave him a strange look.

"That sounds a lot like Zelda's Lullaby," muttered Sheik, then played the song.

_Wow…he's pretty good at that. What can't this guy do?_

His thoughts were cut short as giggling was suddenly heard close by. Sheik stopped playing and swung around, trying to spot the new person, but couldn't see anyone.

Suddenly a child appeared to their right, his bright glowing eyes wide with mischief. Sheik couldn't see his face even though it wasn't covered…it's like it just didn't have a face under the wide hat on its head. It giggled again and blew the horn that was lying by its side just as Link suddenly bolted past him.

Startled, Sheik rushed after him as the Skull Kid vanished with a flutter of leaves. Then the Hero veered to his right and ran into an archway that Sheik swore wasn't there a second ago. Link slowed and Sheik caught up, but before he could say a word, Link bolted to his left and jumped over a ledge and onto higher ground then unsheathed his sword and started to wildly slash the Skull Kid that was dancing near a tree.

"Hero! What are you doing! That's a child you're attacking!" said Sheik and was about to teleport over there until he felt something bash into his back, knocking him to the ground. Sheik quickly looked up to see what had attacked him and saw…_wooden puppets?_

Sheik didn't question their purpose when four of them suddenly ganged up on him, hitting him in different places. Having enough of that, Sheik teleported outside of the circle of puppets, then spun around and threw daggers at every one that attempted to chase after him once he did.

Sheik then turned to help Link but panicked when he saw Link was no longer there. He sprinted down random paths with Icesis running by his side before he started to yell for Link, while keeping an eye out for those puppets.

He suddenly heard Link yell back, so he skidded to a halt in an area with a waterfall. Trying to decipher where Link's voice was coming from, Sheik went toward the waterfall then noticed that there was a path behind it. After grabbing a hold of Icesis he ran through and almost trampled right over Link.

"Hero! Oh thank Goddess…what happened? You just disappeared! And where is that child and why were you attacking it!" shouted the frustrated Sheikah before letting Icesis jump from his arms and run over to Link's side and rub agaisnt his leg. Link just laughed before picking up the purring cat and let her climb onto his left shoulder.

"Hey, calm down there, that _child _is probably older then a hundred of both of us combined and I was attacking him because he's a little masochistic that doesn't believe that your worthy of entering the Sacred Groove if your not willing to give him a serious beat down. Now, we're almost there so let's get going," said Link, then turned and went around a corner and then up a narrow path.

Sheik stared after him for a moment before snapping out of it and running to catch up. If something like this was normal for the Hero, then he doesn't even want to _think _about any of the other strange occurrences he surely has been through.

They emerged into a clearing and Icesis immediately jumped off Link's shoulder to inspect the area. Sheik noticed the ruins surrounding the place then noticed the walkway with a Triforce symbol in front of it that stood to the left of them.

"Over to the left is where the Master Sword is and up there, where that door is, is a portal that will lead us into a time when the Temple of Time wasn't a pile of rubble," said Link as he pointed to each one.

"I was told to bring you here, and I have done that, but I'm afraid that I don't know what your supposed to do when you got here," said Sheik as he looked around the area. "I guess the Master Sword is a good place to start," He turned to face Link. Link nodded then grinned.

"Wait until you see it! I still can't get over how funny people are once they see me wielding it, but your probably going to be one of the few people that get to see it while it's still within the Pedestal of Time!" exclaimed Link, then grabbed Sheik's wrist and dragged him toward the walkway and run through it.

"Hero…! I can walk by myself…" started Sheik, but suddenly lost track of his thoughts as he was pulled into another clearing and caught sight of the legendary blade. The sunlight shone through the trees and straight onto the Master Sword. Sheik wasn't even near it, but he still felt the holy power radiating off it from where he stood.

"So? What do you think?" asked Link, smirking as Sheik turned toward him with a look of astonishment.

"I never thought I would meet the Hero of Twilight, see one of the ancient temples and then stand before the evil banishing blade, the Master Sword all within four days…thank you…Hero," said Sheik, still gazing at the Master Sword. Link flashed him a smile then strode over to the holy blade.

"Alright, so I guess I'll just pull it out. Maybe that will help me know what the hell I'm supposed to be doing," said Link as he approached the Master Sword, while Sheik stood near the entryway waiting in anticipation.

Link stood before the Master Sword, then awkwardly gripped the handle with his left hand and pulled it from the Pedestal of Time. Holy energy emitted from the sword, as if happy it was once again joined with it's chosen one.

Link started when something new happened. Diagrams appeared around the Pedestal of Time, completely surrounding him, and they glowed brighter with each passing second.

Sheik was not concerned, thinking this occurred every time Link pulled the holy sword from its pedestal, but that changed when Link swung around with his eyes wide with panic. Sheik reacted on instinct and teleported to the Hero's side and grabbed a hold of his left arm just before the holy power suddenly pulsed and teleported them away.


	11. Chapter 11

To Xqueezme: Lol, I do try to put humor in here, guess I'm succeeding, huh? But I am curious, who did you think was the blackmailer?

* * *

They reappeared within a seemingly black endless room. Random pillars rose from an endless floor while water flowed from the top and cascaded down the sides.

Link looked down and gasped. What they were standing on seemed like glass with water flowing underneath it, but he actually stood on top of a triangle shaped gold platform, while Sheik stood next to him.

He quickly glanced around and noticed six other platforms surrounding the center triangle platform. They were all different colors while each had a different symbol in the middle. Link looked closer to a round gold platform that had a familiar symbol on it.

_The Temple of Time had that symbol all over the place…_

"What is this place, Hero?' asked Sheik. Link shrugged though.

"Beats me…but it does look familiar…but I'm sure I've never been here," said Link.

They both jumped when someone suddenly appeared in front of them. Link's mouth hung wide open as he looked at the face of the stranger standing before him.

_Oh my Goddess…he's a blonde version of me…but older…_

"Hello, little brother. You're here a lot sooner then I thought you'd be," said the blonde version of him. Link just continued to stare at him as Sheik stood confused beside him, wondering if he should oppose this other Link or not.

"Wha…Who…?" started Link but couldn't get the sentence out. The other Link laughed.

_Goddess's! Even his laugh sounds exactly like mine!_

"I'm called many things, but the title everyone knows me by is the Hero of Time, though I'm called Big Brother among the Brotherhood. You can call me whatever, though. I really don't care, but you can't stay here long so we better get started," said the Hero of Time then began to dig into his own pouch but suddenly someone just came out of the shadows and placed a hand on the other Link's arm.

"He isn't ready…I sense only his own power," said the new stranger. Link couldn't believe it.

_Another Sheik!_

"What! You didn't reawaken the Sages?" exclaimed the other Link.

"What are you talking about!" shouted Link, who was starting to believe that maybe this was some kind of weird dream.

The other Sheik turned toward the Sheik standing by his side.

"Did you not give him his instructions?" asked the other Sheik as he stared down at him.

"I…I relayed what Goddess Nayru said to me before we came here," said Sheik. The other Sheik looked at him in disbelief.

"What! Were you not listening then? Did she not tell you to come here with the _ancient power of seven_? Good Goddess," exclaimed the other Sheik before he turned toward the Hero of Time. "The Hero of Twilight will be murdered if he faces it with his current power."

"Calm down Sheiky, we can fix this. We'll just have to wait a little longer," said the Hero of Time as he placed an arm around the other Sheik's shoulders. "Your rebirth is still a newbie, remember? There was a time when you were a newbie as well, so just take him and give him the whole guide speech and I'll talk to my little brother." The other Sheik gave him a hard look, but then sighed and nodded, striding over to stand in front of Sheik.

"Very well, come with me then. You will need every ounce of instruction I can give you in the short amount of time we have," said the other Sheik then held out his hand. Sheik looked at it cautiously.

"Go on, I have a feeling we need to do this," said Link as he nodded to Sheik.

Sheik nodded back, then took the offered hand then they seemed to fade into the shadows.

"Don't worry about your guide. He'll rejoin us soon, but there are important matters we have to discuss," said the Hero of Time as he crossed his arms. "I'm sure you've heard of the journeys that your brothers and I have taken, right?"

"By brothers you mean…?" asked Link.

"I mean our family, the direct line of Great Hero's, but technically we are just reborn every time but we all still have some sort of link that connects us all to each other, such as a bloodline," said the Hero of Time.

"Okay…I think I get it, and by these journeys, I'm guessing you mean when Ganon first appeared within your time and then keep coming back afterward? I think there were other villains, too…" said Link, trying to remember the other villains.

"You needn't worry about any other villain but Ganon, he will be the one that will make the last stand, and attempt to destroy our line once and for all," said the Hero of Time.

"But I already defeated him. He's safely sealed away in my time," said Link crossing his arms as well, but then winced when he put weight on his right arm and immediately dropped them to his side. "Oh man, I think my potion is wearing off," The Hero of Time strode over to his side.

"You're wounded? From what? Can I see it?" asked the Hero of Time as he reached his side.

"Alright," said Link before he began to un-wrap his bandage. Once he removed it he couldn't help but gasp. "It..it wasn't that bad before."

The wound was no longer gushing purple liquid but it had grown twice as big, almost covering the area where the bandage had been at. The Hero of Time inspected the wound then growled as he pulled out fresh bandages from his pouch.

"This is dark magic…and it looks familiar, but I just can't place it. You should go see Saria, I'm sure you'll find her in Kokiri Forest. She'll know how to deal with this kind of magic, but this is all I can do for you," said the Hero of Time as he pulled out a potion that looked strangely familiar.

"Is that the Goddess's Tears?" asked Link. The Hero of Time looked up at him as he uncorked the bottle of the sparkling silver liquid.

"You know this potion?" asked the Hero of Time as he gently rubbed it on Link's wound.

"Yeah, some guy just gave two bottles of the stuff to Sheik. Apparently this guy looked a lot…like...me…Wait, was that you!" Link suddenly exclaimed.

"No, this potion existed before even me. Someone that also looked a lot like me had given Sheiky quite a few of these bottles during our travels…but I never got a chance to see him. Sheiky had said that the man was to shy to come around me," said the Hero of Time as he bandaged Link's arm back up.

"Sheik told me something similar, but we've only ran into this guy once," said Link.

"That is another matter that you'll have to handle with your guide, but for now you must prepare yourself and reawaken the Sages because you will need their power to summon us," said the Hero of Time as he stepped back.

"'Summon us'? You mean the other Sheik and you?" asked Link.

"No, I mean us, as in the rest of your brothers. Technically, together we are known as the Heroes' Brotherhood. The evil that is building within the shadows of your time will all but destroy you, should you face it without the full power of the Sages and the Hero's Brotherhood by your side," said the Hero of Time.

"So the Heroes' Brotherhood is every Great Hero combined into one group? And there's some kind of evil out there that can beat the might of all of us combined! And why do you keep saying _me_? I'm the only one it's going after?" exclaimed Link.

"Yes, because you are the youngest. Without you, our line will not have a future and therefore the recycled power that every Hero is born with will not be given to the next in line. Do you understand, little brother? If this evil takes your life, then it will easily kill off the next Hero that comes along because our true potential, the very core of our power, would have died with you," said the Hero of Time. Link ran a hand through his hair, shocked.

_Wow…learning about my heritage and my real destiny all on the same day…_

"So…this evil is lurking in the shadows of my time? I'm not really getting that concept," said Link.

"It…is difficult to explain, but this shadow is not very powerful now, but it is growing. Eventually it will have the might of every foe we've ever defeated ten times over…and that is just its own power. There will be others aiding it, some new, some old, but as for the real identify of whoever is controlling this shadow…well, I'm not really sure if it is some kind of beast or just another power hungry person," said the Hero of Time. Link sighed.

_Perfect…well, at lest the next few months or so won't be so boring…_

"You don't have any clue of who could be helping this…shadow maybe?" asked Link.

"Fortunately yes, but it's not something your going to like I'm sure. One person that I am certain is helping the growth of this shadow is actually someone that we have beaten down every time he rises. Yes, it's Ganon and I'm sure my snooping wasn't something this shadow wanted, which is why I even knew about it in the first place, because it almost killed me during our first gathering," said the Hero of Time before tilting his head as he recalled the memory.

"But something that had me worried is not that this shadow had such tremendous power at such a weakened state, but that it seemed to have a strong connection with the heavens…for it's power, strangely enough, didn't have a core of darkness, it mainly radiated with holy light. As I've said, I don't know who or what it is, but I've gotten a taste of its power and trust me…you'll need all the help you can get because I'm sure it has gotten wind that you have come here, so it will try even harder to get rid of you," said the Hero of Time.

"What! I'm supposed to face something that _you _couldn't handle! There's no way, it will kill me easily!" shouted Link. The Hero of Time placed his hands on Link's shoulders.

"No it won't, because once you have the power of the Sages and the might of all your brothers behind you, then this new enemy won't stand a chance against us, and it will be quite some time before it can rise to its full potential so you have time, but be warily little brother, for there surely will be spies around to deceive you," said the Hero of Time. Link rubbed his temples, trying to process everything.

"Okay…when you said it almost killed you during the first gathering…you meant…the Heroes' Brotherhood right? So the Great Hero's had all existed at the same time before? Why?" asked Link.

"Because, that was when this shadow first appeared and I was barely able to keep it at bay, but once I summoned the last Hero's Brotherhood, it stopped its ruthless attempts to destroy me and apparently disappeared…and I thought that it had truly fled, for Sheiky said that he no longer sensed that its presence was spreading…" Said the Hero of Time then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "But…it was just to confuse us. Then this child like man dressed in purple suddenly showed up and stole something very precious to me…and I tried chasing after him but that was what this shadow apparently was aiming for, because it resurfaced and attacked the others when I was away. Just when it was about to win, it disappeared again, and didn't reappear until your time, but we still don't know what it was after when we all had gathered to began with."

Link just stood there, trying to let it all sink in when he suddenly felt a pulling sensation.

"I feel weird…"said Link as his vision began to blur. The Hero of Time suddenly looked up at him and cursed.

"Dammit! There's not enough time! The magic is losing its hold on you, so listen. Once you find and reawaken all the Sages, then you must find a piece of courage from each of your brothers to create a link with them, other wise they'll not be able to overcome the shadows power that is spreading over your time and aid you! And you _mustn't _summon us unless you have these pieces understand? We are all not meant to exist at the same time, so if you summon us without our link activated then time will collapse as it tries to fill the holes we leave behind," said the Hero of Time hurriedly. "Then once you find them, come back here and use this," he shoved a blue and gold ocarina into Link's hands, "to combine our powers with the summoning song, just ask any of your brothers, they'll know what I'm talking about. Now hurry and head to the Forest Temple, oh! But first see Saria about that arm! _Sheiky_!" The other Sheik suddenly appeared with Sheik.

The Hero of Time grabbed a hold of Sheik. "Don't worry! You'll get the hang of it in no time!" said the Hero of Time before hurling the Sheikah at Link just as he felt himself being pulled away.

"Good luck, little brother!" was the last thing Link heard before they suddenly hit the ground in front of the Pedestal of Time.

Link was lying on the ground with Sheik sprawled on top of him because of the fall, but he suddenly jumped up.

"H-Hero, I'm sorry…I have brought you here unprepared," said Sheik, standing to the side with his eyes toward the ground. Link groaned from his position on the floor, unwilling to move yet.

"Things can't ever be simple can they? It's okay Sheik, but if you can't let it go, well, you definitely made up for it by now…But hey!" Link suddenly shouted sitting up. "My…ah, Big Brother?...Said that this Saria chick could heal my arm!" Link then jumped up.

"I'm glad Hero, you'll be needing it…" said Sheik softly. Link walked up to him.

"What's wrong with you? Hey, I'm not mad you know," said Link. Sheik shook his head.

"You should be…I'm a _failure _at my destiny. It was my job to bring you here prepared, but the only thing I did was bring you here to early! With an injury that can't even be healed by normal means! You wouldn't even have that wound if I'd just gotten there sooner…!" Sheik shouted desperately as he balled his hands into fists. Link sighed then pulled Sheik into a one armed hug, startling the Sheikah.

"Hey, you are not a failure, far from it. You just made some mistakes. Everyone does Sheik, even me and I don't blame you for my injury. You did however, save me from getting my ass mauled by those shadows though, with an impressive entrance too by the way, and now I know that the evil king of bastards has been planning something for quite some time, it looks like. All this wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for you, alright?" said Link as he looked Sheik in the eyes. "You'll get better the more experience you get," Link patted Sheik's shoulder then stepped away and turned around, heading toward the fallen Master Sword that lay a few feet away.

Link picked up the Master Sword and put it into its sheath, then tied the sheath around his chest.

"Thank you…Hero. I have faith that you will save us. Now, if you wish, I will take you to the entrance of the Forest Temple," said Sheik. Link thought about it before a streak of white suddenly pounced onto his back, making him shout out in surprise and fall over. Sheik tensed, his daggers ready to throw, but laughed softly when Link turned over to reveal Icesis now rubbing her face up against his face. She spun her head in his direction, hearing his laugh, then bolted over and lifted her upper body onto Sheik's leg, meowing.

"Sorry girl…I forgot to grab you, but then again, that wasn't a place you should have been going to anyway," said Sheik as he bent down to pick her up.

Link grumbled as he picked himself off the ground. "Why does she always have to pounce on me? Why not just a simple rub against my leg like normal cats? Scared the shit out of me…again!" exclaimed Link. "Oh, and I think I want to walk. I could use some fresh air," Then stretched as far as his injured arm would allow.

"As you wish…I will take my leave then. It was a pleasure to have been by your side," said Sheik softy, bowing his head, then turned and strode away. Link blinked.

_Wait what? Why is he leaving!_

Sheik was past the archway when it finally hit Link that Sheik was really leaving. Without thinking he bolted in pursuit of the retreating Sheikah and then tackled him to the ground. Icesis went tumbling forward while Sheik hit the ground face first. Link hurriedly helped Sheik up, laughing nervously.

"Wow…I'm so sorry, but I thought you were going to teleport away, but ah…I, ah was just…um…oh hell. Look, how can you just _leave_? I mean, I thought we were, you know, beginning to be friends?" asked Link. Sheik blinked, confused.

"I was leaving Hero, because you asked me too," said Sheik. Link gave him a puzzled look then remembered their talk back in Kakariko.

"Oh man…you really think that's still true? I barely knew you then! And you just attacked my friend but I hadn't known about any of this yet!" exclaimed Link his arms wide and gesturing to where they just met there own ancestors. "That was also when I was angry, and I do stupid stuff when I'm angry, so I take it back, okay? You should stay, I mean, if you want to…" Link scratched his head, tilting his head down but had his eyes on the Sheikah.

"You…really want me to stay with you?" asked Sheik hesitantly. Link nodded.

"Well yeah, I mean what would I do without you? I'd never be out of bed in time, I'll most likely run right into a trap without your awesome eyes there to stop me and those shadows! They all but wiped the floor with me, but you took care of them like it was child's play!" said Link as he stepped closer to the Sheikah. "And Icesis! How can you do that to her! She wouldn't know what to do with herself if I wasn't around for her to mess with! So come on, what do you say? Partners?" asked Link then offered his hand toward the Sheikah.

Sheik couldn't believe it, the Hero was trying to convince him to stay…he must mean it right? He surely wouldn't go through the trouble if he didn't. Secretly smiling fully for the first time in awhile, Sheik took the hand offered to him and shook it.

"Partners," said Sheik firmly.


	12. Chapter 12

To Xqueezme: That was a good guess, but I've got something different planed for him, since he happens to be one of my favorite characters, but I never thought to give Link a evil twin brother lol, that could be a cool twist for another story and yes I did spend quite some time on this, cuze Zelda is one of my most favorite games of all time!

To Sheikah Ninja: Honesty? I really don't know, I think I'm just going to leave it open for the reader.

To Transformersjunkie: Really? That's good, I was worried for a minute that I was maybe moving the story a bit to slow.

* * *

Sheik laughed as he leaned against a rock wall as Link was crawling on the ground toward a _very _angry and wet Icesis.

"Awww, come on! How was I supposed to know that you would land in that puddle of water! I didn't mean for it to happen!" exclaimed Link, trying to calm the growling cat that was giving him a death glare.

Icesis hissed before pouncing on Link's left hand, sinking her teeth and claws into it. Link shouted out in pain and jerked it away before covering his now slightly bleeding left hand with his right one, pouting at Icesis as she stopped growling but continued to glare at him.

"Okay, I deserved that. Are we even now? Your not going go all out ninja cat on me, are you?" asked Link hesitantly. Icesis narrowed her eyes, as if considering it, but then walked up to him and crawled up into his lap. Link sighed then stroked her head.

"Man, this is just pathetic. I'm dreading the wrath of miss ninja cat here more then I ever dreaded facing Ganon. She must have been some kind of fierce goddess in her last life," muttered Link as he wrapped his left arm around Icesis and stood up. Icesis crawled up on top of his left shoulder just as Sheik finally pulled it together.

"Well, that was quite a show, but I think we should get out of this forest before any anything _else _happens to us, Hero," said Sheik as he approached Link. The Hero finished inspecting his hand, deciding that it should be fine now that it wasn't bleeding anymore.

"Alright, but first we've got to settle something," said Link as he faced Sheik. The Sheikah gave him a confused look.

"Now that we are _official partners_, I think it's about time you started calling me by my name. No more of this _Hero _business," said Link as he pressed his index finger against Sheik's chest. The Sheikah looked startled.

"But that would be improper of me-!" Link cut him off.

"Only if I take offense to it, which I don't. I will actually take offense if you _don't _call me by my real name, got it?" said Link, then turned and started to walk down the path away from the Temple of Time. Sheik humphed before following him.

"Is it really so bad to be proper? I would rather not show such disrespect to you," grumbled Sheik as he reached the Hero's side. Link just rolled his eyes.

"It's not showing disrespect. It's showing familiarity. I trust you. You're not just some random guy who helped me anymore. You're my friend, and my friends don't go around calling me _Hero, _do they?" asked Link as he rounded a corner. He smirked as Icesis meowed sharply at Sheik, as if agreeing with him.

"See? Even Icesis agrees with me. You have my back, don't you girl?" asked Link as he scratched Icesis behind the ears. Sheik glared up at _his _cat that sat perched up on Link's shoulder, but then sighed.

"Alright…if you insist…Link," said Sheik, saying his name hesitantly as if the Hero might turn and yell that he changed his mind. He felt honored that he would consider him a friend though. Link however, rather liked the way Sheik said his name.

_Wow…should have done this a lot sooner._

"Oh…and what did you do after you and…you're past self? Do when you guys vanished?" asked Link, turning his head to look at Sheik.

"He was telling me more about my destiny. How I need to stay true to what my title indicates…and not to, in his words, _screw up again_ because we will not always be given a second chance. I believe him. Which is why it's _not _happening again," said Sheik firmly, but then remembered something, and reached into the folds of his suit to pull out a scroll.

"He also gave me this, it has many ancient Sheikah secrets that I had thought were long buried with my race," said Sheik excitedly as he unwrapped the scroll. Link leaned over, but saw nothing but what looked like chicken scratch to him.

"Are they hidden in that mass of gibberish?" asked Link, but then quickly stepped back as Sheik spun to give him a death glare.

"This isn't _gibberish_! It is the ancient language of my people!" growled Sheik. Link put his hands up.

"Whoa there! Calm down, I didn't mean to offend you, alright? It didn't make any sense to me, but I could have used a less offensive term. So I'm sorry, okay?" said Link, staying at a safe distance from the Sheikah that looked ready to punch his lights out. Sheik narrowed his eyes, but then nodded.

"Haven't I told you before that perception is key? You may not have meant to offend me, but you did, though it is fine for now…but please do not say such offensive things about my people again," said Sheik. Link walked back to his side.

"You got it, but mind telling me what it says? Or is that private?" asked Link, but Sheik shook his head.

"You should be told about these, well, most of them, for some don't apply to you so I don't think you would be interested in them," said Sheik as he looked down at the writing on the scroll again.

"Hey, I would love to learn more about your culture, I mean, no one's even mentioned anything about the Sheikah before. But if they are just as kick ass as you are then they must be a powerful race," said Link. Sheik then looked away.

"We were a powerful race…but as far as I know, my mother and I are the only ones left now," said Sheik as he clutched the scroll to his chest. Link put his left arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a one armed hug, startling the Sheikah yet again.

"Hey…I'm sorry, but…if they were here, I'd bet they would proudly call you one of their own. I mean, who wouldn't? A sixteen year old that is wise and able to whop ass like you? Who has a ninja cat and a speed demon as his steed? Who got to meet Nayru _herself_? Geez, you'd fit with the _diamond in the rough _theory," said Link. Sheik looked up at him.

"Thank you He-Link. Your words are very kind. I…I am glad to be the one that is meant to be your guide," said Sheik as Icesis leapt off Link's shoulders, seemingly deciding that she would rather stalk the squirrel's running around.

"My guide?" asked Link. He remembered that his big brother had referred to Sheik as his guide a few times.

"Yes…according to my…other self, our title was the Hero's Guide. The Goddess's would have one of us become a guide for any of the Great Hero's should their destiny threaten to overwhelm them. There have only been two of us though. Myself and my past self. I guess the Goddess's are wary of this shadow as well," said Sheik as he watched Icesis shoot up a tree in pursuit of a retreating squirrel.

"Hmm, well I'm glad for the extra help, but are you going to tell me what's on that scroll or should I guess?" asked Link, laughing as Sheik's eyes widened, then shot back to the scroll.

"Of course, there are instructions for several different fighting styles. I guess that is because there used to be different tribes among us that wished to have their own fighting style. Then there are other inscriptions that describe various artifacts that we have made. It even tells where some of them are hidden! That is something we should look into later, but something my other self taught me was the particular use of these songs here," said Sheik before pointing to a list of six songs that were colored differently.

"They are called warp songs. They will teleport us to a certain spot within Hyrule without draining life energy, but the player is only able to carry so many people with him. I believe everyone that tries this song will only be able to take themselves, but anyone of Sheikah descent will able to teleport up to four people if we link our natural teleporting ability with the power of the song without it actually draining any of our own energy, but you are able to take up to six people with the power of the Ocarina of Time," said Sheik and then clicked his tongue, causing Icesis to swing around to look at him before running to his side. Sheik picked her up and held her tight.

"I'd rather you not run off again…" muttered Sheik. Link snickered.

"Yeah, don't you know that cats do whatever they want to? Oh, now that I think about it, will those warp songs work on animals?" asked Link. Sheik thought about it.

"I…don't know actually. I never thought to ask that, but we can always find out," said Sheik. Icesis meowed as she struggled, obviously wanting down so she could chase the squirrels that she could hear running around them. Sheik just held her tighter.

"No, Icesis. You're not running around in an area that you could get lost in…especially with that strange child around here somewhere…" said Sheik.

"Oh, you mean the Skull Kid? Nah, he won't hurt her, but he might take her just to mess with us so I'd say that was a good move then…Hey, wait. With that whole Hero's Guide thing…why didn't you just tell me that in Kakariko?" asked Link suddenly.

"I was told to bring you to the Sacred Groove, but you were rather unwilling to go with me back then. So I didn't want to tell you something that would most likely rile you up and hurt my cause, but I had every intention of telling you afterward," said Sheik.

"Yeah, knowing me, that probably would have bugged me, but anyway, this adventure won't last very long I think," said Link as he reached into his pouch to bring out a bottle of water before taking a swig.

"Why do you say that?" asked Sheik as he accepted the offered bottled water, taking a drink himself.

"Well, all the sages are standing on these pillar things at the top of the Arbiter's Grounds. I just don't have a clue as to what my…Big Brother meant when he said to collect a piece of courage from each of my brothers. What the hell is a piece of courage? Are they supposed to be solid? Or am I looking for some kind of spell or something?" asked Link.

"Perhaps it's something significant only to each Hero," said Sheik.

"So I could be looking for some kind of little trinket that could be _anything_? Yeah, I could imagine how well that's going to go down. Excuse me sir, but could I inspect your house to see if any of my past lives used to own any of your stuff? My Goddess's! I'd be thousand years old and still not be done," said Link frustratingly. Sheik sighed then noticed that they were nearing the exit, for the stone with the Triforce symbol on it stood to the far left.

Sheik then realized that he had been following Link the entire time.

"I'm guessing you knew your way?" asked Sheik. Link grinned.

"Yep. You just can't _get _to the Sacred Groove without that pesky brat leading way because, if you didn't notice before, he blocks all the archways by sealing them back up, and he'll even lead you in circles sometimes. But he learned that he couldn't hide from Midna and me…" Link said then suddenly lowed his voice to a whisper, "Oh damn…I just realized that kicking his ass would have been a lot harder if he knew I had an injured right arm. Thank Goddess's he's not that observant."

"Well I'm afraid that can't be said about _me_," said a familiar voice that came from no where.

Link spun around in search for the voice, "Sheik…?" He still found no one.

"Yes, it's the same child from before," said Sheik with his daggers already out, but also not finding a target. He had dropped Icesis the moment he heard the voice, so she now stood crouched beside his leg.

"How _dare _you! I'm not a child! You pitiful mortals will pay for your insolence, but _you _Shadow Walker! You deserve something much worse then death after you and that little _fiend _of yours ruined my plans before but that's not happening this time," said the purple clothed stranger as he came hovering into view almost right over them.

They backed up quickly as the stranger hovered closer. He laughed menacingly, obviously enjoying how he could unnerve them, but then shrieked as Icesis flew forward from beside Sheik's leg and hissed in his direction, causing him to shoot several feet higher and hit his head on a branch.

Link snickered as the stranger detached himself from the tree he hit.

"Yeah, so frightening," taunted Link. The stranger whirled in his direction, his red eyes ablaze as a pulsing dark aura emitted from his body.

"You will regret opposing me mortal," growled the stranger. Link humphed and narrowed his eyes.

"Not if you regret opposing me first," growled Link back before unsheathing the Master Sword. The stranger looked ready to explode, but then suddenly smirked as he looked up at the night sky.

Link waited impatiently, but Sheik followed the strangers gaze. Wondering why night would make him suddenly so happy. Then it hit him. The shadows never attacked them at the ranch…_because it was during the day_.

Not wasting a second Sheik quickly grabbed a hold of Link and tried teleporting them to the horses…but to his horror he found his ability wasn't responding.

"Don't waste _my _time Shadow Walker by using your cowardly tactics, which by the way, won't work around me now. You are not getting away this time. Either of you! But I just can't decide who I want to kill first…hmmm…I know!" mocked the stranger as he looked down at Link. "You have some _friends _that have missed you terribly. So let's say you guys catch up as I decide what kind of demise your Shadow Walker friend will meet, hm?" said the stranger, and then snapped his fingers.

The shadow monsters then suddenly started to rise from the ground right from under the hovering stranger, making Link turn a sickly shade of white and back up several paces, while Sheik cursed as he saw the smaller shadows rise with the others.

Sheik immediately tugged the now shaking Hero behind him then resumed his defensive stance while searching for an escape route.

"Her-Link! Pull yourself together! I'll try and keep the smaller ones away from you but try and head for the exit, alright?" asked Sheik quietly to the Hero, but the hovering stranger snorted, catching their attention before Link could respond.

"Were you idiots not _listening_? You're not going anywhere, but I think I've got the perfect way to settle our score Shadow Walker. Since you seem rather _protective _of the Hero of Twilight, then I think he needs to go first. I'm in a generous mood, so I'll let you chose. You can either watch as my shadow's rip his heart out and kill him instantly or watch them rip off each limb slowly…you know what? I like that last idea. So never mind. You have no choice," said the stranger as he chuckled, his red eyes gleaming with excitement. "Oh, and that fiend of yours is getting devoured, or maybe I'll just have them throw it off a cliff. Yes, that way I can hear its last moments," the stranger then clapped his hands in glee.

Sheik stood in front of Link, giving the hovering stranger a lethal look.

"You hurt either one of them and you will wish for the Goddess's mercy before I'm through with you," growled the Sheikah. Icesis shot back to her owners' side then spun around hissed at the stranger again, making him jump and almost stumble to the ground.

"That's _it_! I've had enough of you mortals! Now meet your doo-!" But the stranger was cut off as light seemed to shine out from the tree next to him, making him swing in that direction just as something came hurling out of this light and crashed right into the hovering stranger before knocking him out of the air and hitting the ground with a loud thud.

Link's attention was ripped away from the approaching shadows as this beast stood towering over the small stranger. He mouth hung wide open, but then grinned as the shadows now were confused on what to do.

Sheik had never seen anything like it before, but he would guess it was some kind of wolf. Its golden coat shone brightly even though it was in the middle of the night. While it had a hollow left eye, its gleaming right red eye glared down at the seemingly frozen stranger.

It then suddenly threw up its head and howled. It's entire body shining even brighter, until the holy light radiating from its body seemed to jump off the wolf and target the large group of shadows, easily destroying them in seconds.

Sheik was stunned, but noticed that the stranger seemed to have his hand ready to strike the holy beast with his magic, but after witnessing what it just did to his shadows, he seemed to have decided that wasn't what he wanted to do now. The stranger then just dispersed into nothing before reappearing hovering high above them.

"I'll have my revenge! Just you wait!" said the stranger while talking faster with each word as the holy beast turned toward him, glaring with its single red eye before disappearing into thin air.

Sheik sighed gratefully. He was glad that they didn't have to deal with that stranger that seemed to indeed, have some kind of personal vendetta against Link. He probably had one against him now too, now that he thought about it. Link snickered beside him and then strode passed him and over to the holy beast.

"Man! You showed up just in time! Thanks, but I'm guessing you have a reason for being here though?" asked Link, who's answer was confirmed when the holy beast then crouched, growling before pouncing at the Hero.

Sheik let out a shout of surprise when the beast suddenly hurled itself at Link, but they vanished with a bright flash of light as soon as the beast made contact. Leaving the distraught Sheikah just standing there, staring at where they just were.


	13. Chapter 13

Link landed hard on his behind within the realm of spirits. He then looked up at the golden wolf that he swore was smirking down at him. He stood up just when the golden wolf shifted into a skeletal warrior version of itself.

"You have traveled a long way young hero, but I'm afraid your true journey is just about to begin," said the skeletal warrior. Link groaned and covered his face with his hands before sliding them down to peer through his fingers.

"Don't remind me…but it's not that bad actually. I mean, I got me a cool partner that has some pretty awesome pets and he doesn't screw with me like Midna used to…she was so mean sometimes! Man, I miss her so much! Anyway, it seems you have some kind of idea what the heck is going on here," said Link as he lowered his hands and sheathed the Master Sword. The warrior humphed.

"You are not taking this seriously. Do you not have the slightest clue at what is at stake here, young hero?" asked the warrior as he turned to stare down at Link with his single red eye. Link suddenly felt rather inferior as he stood in front of the tall warrior.

"Um, the destruction of the…world?" said Link hesitantly. The warrior sighed.

"Covering the world with its own shadow will certainly spell disaster for those that can not survive without light, but the world itself will not be destroyed though the balance within it certainly will be. Do you know what to do to prevent this?"

"Um, I was told that this, ah, shadow would be threatening to override the world with Ganon, so…I need to awaken the sages that are, ah, sleeping I guess? While trying to put twice as much effort to stay alive because this, ah, shadow or Ganon or something will come after me because they want to destroy my bloodline so we can't oppose them ever again…I think. Then I have to find these pieces of courage, whatever they are, and summon my, ah, 'brothers', which I think is every Great Hero combined into one group, then…I think I'm supposed to lead as we all just gang up on this, ah, shadow because that's what it sounded like," said Link while he scratched his head.

"Well, at least you get the gist of it, but I can't stand here and explain everything because taking you straight here without you formally summoning me is costing me much of my strength. So I will ask you to summon me properly so your own magic will keep you here instead of my energy," said the warrior. Link nodded, but then his eyes widened when he remembered that he didn't have a wolf form.

"Wait, how will I summon you? I don't have my wolf form anymore," said Link.

"That is fine. You can just use the Ocarina of Time. That will create the same affect," said the warrior. Link was confused, trying to remember the familiar name.

"That sounds…oddly familiar, but I've never played any kind of instrument before," said Link. The warrior humphed before pointing to the pouch that lay on Link's belt.

"Do you not have it? The blue and gold ocarina?" asked the warrior dully. Link reached down and dug in his pouch until he pulled out the mystical instrument. He looked down at it, running his fingers over the holes on the top.

"You may not have played any kind of instrument, but plenty of your past lives had. Just let their experience guide you when you summon me with the Prelude of Light at the howling stone just outside of the Sacred Groove. Until we meet again," said the Warrior, and then with a wave of his hand, Link felt himself falling. He had lost sight of the skeletal warrior just when he realized that he didn't have a clue how to play this Prelude of Light.

Link landed hard on his behind…again, and suddenly got his arms full of Icesis. She was meowing frantically, obviously worried about his sudden disappearance. He smiled down at her and stroked her head before sighing as he started to get to his feet.

"Good Goddesses!" screamed a voice to this right, startling him so much he fell down again. Link swung to his right to see Sheik storming toward him. Link lowered his head, inwardly cringing when he noticed the look of fury within the Sheikah's eyes.

"What in the name of the Three is the matter with you? Do you enjoy giving me a heart attack that now seems to happen every five minutes! Obviously this wolf _wasn't _an enemy, but that would nice to know _before _you suddenly disappear when this beast just up and hurls itself at you…! And you didn't even move a muscle! Not even a twitch! I swear you are driving me _crazy_!" yelled the Sheikah while waving his arms to emphasize his point. Link quickly stood up as Icesis climbed onto his left shoulder. He then approached the heaving Sheikah cautiously.

"Sheik, I'm sorry but-" but Sheik cut him off.

"You're sorry! What will it be next time Link? Will I find in you pieces because some random monster manages to drag you off when you couldn't control that reckless streak of yours! Will you tell me your sorry _then_!" shouted Sheik as he jabbed two fingers toward Link. Link grabbed the wrist of those fingers and jerked him up close, so he was mere inches from Links face, making Sheik suddenly rather uncomfortable.

"Look, I know this looks bad but that guy helped me all through my last adventure and Midna and I saw him several times so I never thought to tell you that he wasn't an enemy! I swear I'll work on this, alright? I actually don't enjoy seeing you suffer in any way," said Link before finally releasing Sheik's wrist.

The Sheikah swallowed, and then turned sharply before heading for the exit while taking deep breaths to calm himself. Link hurriedly followed him, Icesis hanging on for dear life as he ran after the Sheikah.

"Sheik? Aww, come on. Don't be like that! I'll try not being so reckless, okay?" said Link, not realizing Sheik had alright moved past that.

Sheik suddenly stopped right when they left the Sacred Groove, making Link almost run into him. Icesis flew forward and Link shot his arms out to catch her. He turned to Link as the hero was rubbing where he was sure Icesis had left a nice claw mark or four, and then sighed.

"I'm not angry anymore, I was just…eager about leaving that forest," said Sheik before folding his arms and looking to the side. The Sheikah was afraid his heart might just burst from his chest if it didn't calm down soon.

"Oh, right. Well, ah…the song!" said Link suddenly, making Sheik look him in a weird way.

"When I was with, ah…you know what…I never thought to ask if he had a name, man, I really need to work on my manners, but anyway, he told me that I need to summon him properly because taking me straight there was draining his strength apparently, so I need to summon him using the…what was it?" said Link, trying to remember the name of the song. Icesis seemed to be fine in the ball she was curled up in the curve of Link's left arm.

"Oh! The um, 'something' of light. Preen? Pride? Ah, Prefer…?" said Link. Sheik raised an eyebrow. Well, if it had something to do with light, well, maybe it has a religious or perhaps primal meaning.

"Prepay! No, that's not it…Pre…?" said Link, now getting rather frustrated.

"Prelude?" suggested Sheik, not really sure why that name just suddenly popped in his head. Link looked up at him and grinned.

"Prelude! Yes that's it! The Prelude of Light! Ok, so…got to get something to play it on," said Link before suddenly realizing he had been holding the Ocarina of Time that entire time in his right hand.

"Oh, well problem solved," said Link and then walked over to the grayish blue stone that had a hole in the middle. Link then stopped and stared at it for a minute before swinging in Sheik's direction, making the Sheikah freeze, thinking something was wrong.

Link then let Icesis climb back onto his left shoulder again and then pointed to the red eye symbol on the front of Sheik's body suit.

"I never noticed, but they all have that eye symbol," said Link. Sheik relaxed, and then walked closer and peered down at the stone.

"I never knew of any kind of stone we created except for the gossip stones, but these do look like something we would have made…perhaps my scroll will have something about these stones," said Sheik, and then looked back up at Link, "Well, now that I know where your _going_, then you might as well just get to that song."

"Right," said Link, but then stepped away from the stone though, making Sheik give him a confused look.

"I've got to learn how to play the song first. I mean, for all I know a stampede of Ganondorfs might suddenly come at me if I get it wrong, 'cause I've done nothing but howl to these suckers before," said Link then sat down near the stone. Sheik hummed, thinking that perhaps the Hero had a solid idea for once.

A half hour later proved that Sheik should have just tried staying silent, but now was forced to eat his words. The practice session Link was attempting ended up becoming an epic failure, which resulted in him throwing the priceless instrument in random directions in frustration while Icesis had long since stayed at a safe distance from the randomly thrown projectiles that consisted of whatever Link could get his hands on. He finally just stood up with a curse.

"Goddesses damn it! How in the world could _any _of my past lives have played this thing! I can't even get one note to sound right!" shouted Link, looking like he wanted nothing more then to slam the ocarina to the ground and stomp it into a million pieces. Sheik placed his right hand on the extremely frustrated Hero's shoulder, trying to calm him. Icesis bravely strode up to his leg and meowed at him as if to reassure him.

Link ran his hands down his face, taking a deep breath, and then walked back over to the stone.

"You know what? I'm just going to try it. If that stampede of Ganondorf's comes along, well bring it on, because I really don't care anymore," said Link, and then lifted the ocarina to his lips.

_Come on…just a few notes and I'm done…_

Link stood there, then like remembering an old memory, his fingers just seemed to know where to place themselves. In a matter of seconds, Link played the song perfectly. He suddenly saw an image before his eyes, but it quickly faded away.

_It looked like the Temple of Time, where the Master Sword was…but… why was Sheik standing in front of me? I didn't know him when I first went into that place._

His thoughts were cut short when he felt a familiar sensation, and then he disappeared from sight.

Worry wormed its way through every nerve of Sheik's body, but he forced it down. He _knew _the Hero was coming back this time, so no need to worry.

After about ten minutes, Sheik was growing rather bored. He had let Icesis frolic about while he took a seat near the stone. Sighing, Sheik tried thinking of something to do.

He did remember the amazing change to Link's talent at playing the Ocarina and decided that the hero needed to have those moments more often because he did not want to have to chase after the Hero whenever he tried throwing the ocarina over the side of the cliff anymore.

Besides to summon the skull kid, he really hadn't played his flute very much in the last few months. Perhaps he'll try this Prelude of Light.

Pulling his flute from the folds of his body suit, Sheik brought it up to his face, and tried remembering how it went. Then, just as with Link, his fingers just seemed to know where to place themselves.

He finished the song perfectly then lowered his flute, wondering why it sounded so familiar. He suddenly tensed when Icesis swung toward his direction and hissed.

Quickly gripping one of his daggers, Sheik swung around but froze as he stared into glowing red eyes.

Link reappeared standing on a cliff that had a nice birds eye view of Hyrule. He looked ahead and grinned when he saw the golden wolf sitting on a cliff on the opposite side of him. Nodding, Link then brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips again and repeated the Prelude of Light, this time with the wolf howling along.

"Good job young hero. Now come find me. We have much to talk about," said the voice of the warrior, and then the wolf jumped off his cliff and down toward Hyrule. Link peered over the side.

"Well, the fact that you can survive a fall from a million miles in the air definitely drives home the fact that your one tough puppy," said Link as he felt the pull that brought him back to Hyrule, "but I'm taking the short cut."

Link laughed as he landed back in Hyrule. This time he actually managed to land on his feet, that is, until Icesis suddenly shot through the air and hit his chest, startling him until he fell over.

"Seriously girl. Do you really have to do that every time?" grumbled Link. Icesis immediately started meowing frantically. "What? Icesis calm down, what's your problem…? Sheik, I think she's broken," said Link, but then turned when he didn't hear a response.

Looking all around the cliff, Link still didn't spot the Sheikah anywhere.

_He wouldn't leave Icesis here…even if he was angry…_

He felt himself grew cold when he didn't see him anywhere in the Scared Groove either, the Skull Kid would have left the archway open if he had led him in there.

"Sheik? Sheik! Where are you?" Link shouted as he ran back outside the Scared Groove with Icesis sill meowing frantically, but still didn't get a response. Link could do nothing but stand there, lost.

_Where is he!_


	14. Chapter 14

Sheik stumbled into the spirit realm, but quickly straightened, his daggers ready, and spun in every direction, trying to spot that…thing that had pounced on him. He found nothing, so he straightened a little and looked at his surroundings.

The environment didn't have a particular shape, it just was random shapes and colors that were continuously changing.

"Hopefully your normally faster then that, I expected you to at lest see me before I leapt," said a dull voice from behind him. Sheik swung around and started, not expecting a panther to be laying lazily not more then five feet away from him. He didn't even hear it!

What threw Sheik though, was that this panther was surrounded in shadows, making it's form almost unrecognizable, while it's red eyes just seemed to see right through his soul.

"What? Do I have a bug on my face?" asked the shadow panther, then started to rub it's paw across it's face. Feeling that this creature didn't seem to want to cause him harm, Sheik put his daggers away but stayed at a safe distance. The shadow panther just gave him a dull look.

"Humph, you can be miles away and I'll still catch you, so don't bother wasting your energy in trying to avoid me," said the shadow panther. Sheik narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want with me?" asked Sheik cautiously. The shadow panther snorted.

"What are you talking about boy? _Your _the one who summoned _me_, what do _you _want?" asked the shadow panther irritably. Sheik's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but then remembered what he had been doing beforehand.

"Did you react to the Prelude of Light?" asked Sheik. The shadow panther growled, making Sheik jump and back away.

"You didn't know that? What were you doing playing it then! I have better things to do then play these stupid little games with you boy!" shouted the shadow panther, baring it's teeth at Sheik. The Sheikah held up his hands, his heart racing as he bowed his head.

"Forgive me, I hadn't known that was a summoning song, but if I may…who are you?" asked Sheik, then straightened. The shadow panther seemed to calm down, then laid back down.

"Good grief, your people were the ones that created that song, but I guess you got left out of the loop. You may call me Ker though," said Ker, then rolled his eyes as Sheik's eyes widened as he stumbled backwards, "Don't be such a coward, if I meant to kill you Sheik, you would be dead already," then he began cleaning himself.

Sheik truthfully admitted that he was scared shitless, I mean, who in there right mind would not be frightened when the spirit of violent death itself was sitting not more then five feet away from you? And it even knew his name!

"I…ah, I was not expecting that, I meant no disrespect," said Sheik, trying his best to stay calm. Ker looked up at him, then just stared at him. Sheik was rapidly becoming nervous but he held his ground, since he figured running wouldn't help him here, and he had a bad feeing that his teleporting ability wouldn't help him either.

Ker then laughed, the sound sending a chill down Sheik's back.

"Well, perhaps the boy does have a bit of a back bone…but your pitiful skills won't help you for what you will eventually face in this little adventure of yours," said Ker as he laid his head on top of his paws.

"What do you mean?" asked Sheik, not willing to start any kind of fight with this creature.

"Obviously your job is to be the guide and protector no? Well what happens when you meet opponents that are more intone with the shadows then you? Wouldn't that be an ironic death for your charge? Killed by the very thing that's supposed to protect him," said Ker, laughing. Sheik narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing will get anywhere near him because I will make my self stronger…everything has a weakness and I can use that to my advantage," said Sheik harshly. Ker tilted his head, his tail whipping from side to side.

"Wouldn't that concept apply to you as well?" asked Ker, showing his teeth, which Sheik thought must be the equivalent to a smirk.

"I…" Sheik was speechless, because Ker was right. There weren't many people he would give his life for, but out of the few that he would, Sheik surprisingly found that Link was one of them, regardless of his destiny.

"Humph, I can never understand why you people can get so attached to each other, it must get in the way of plenty of things," muttered Ker, then stood and slowly walked toward Sheik, "But, I have to admit, we spirits are not liking what is about to unfold within the living realm, I normally wouldn't care, but if these morons cover the world with it's own shadow the entire chain of life will be screwed beyond repair and not only will this place be overrun with spirits of all the deceased, but we will no longer have a purpose. How am I supposed to cause death if there's no one to kill?" said Ker as he stopped just in front of Sheik. The Sheikah was focusing all his will power on not bolting away from the shadow panther.

"What are you saying?" asked Sheik. Ker sat down, his tail now whipping from side to side again.

"I'm saying Sheikah, that I can help you gain the skill to become _part _of a shadow, instead of your kind's normal way to _move _like one," said Ker, then he flexed his claws, "This is your only offer, so summon me next time if you decide your Hero is worth the trouble," Then the shadow panther vanished.

The ground then seemed to brake right from under him, then he suddenly hit the grassy floor next to the stone he had originally played at. Putting his hand over his heart, Sheik sighed in relief.

He was half way up from the ground when Icesis suddenly shot out from somewhere to the right side of him and knocked him to the ground. He looked down at the cat perched on his chest, but she meowed and rubbed her face against his neck.

"I'm alright girl…" started Sheik as he began to stand again, but didn't get any farther, for something else that obviously was much heavier then Icesis suddenly came flying from the same direction she had and knocked him back on the ground.

"Oh my Goddess! I thought you were dead!…Hey! Your just fine! Then why did you leave!" shouted Link. Sheik's face was bright red, but he quickly turned his face to the side to hide the small part that was visible, and it was just getting worse, for the Hero was pretty much laying on top of him.

"G-get off!" said Sheik as he attempted to push Link off him, but the Hero refused to be moved.

"No way, not until you tell me what the hell is going on! I mean I thought we settled the whole don't go anywhere without telling me thing! That works both ways you know! Or are you still so mad that you had to just up and disappear?" shouted Link, then grabbed a hold of Sheik wrists and held them down when he tried shoving harder.

"That's…that's not what happened…!" said Sheik but he was losing control of himself.

"What? Then why won't you even look at me? Not to mention your heart beat is running as fast as your dame horse! How can you be that angry! What do you want from me!" shouted Link, frustrated that he wasn't getting through to Sheik.

The Sheikah suddenly panicked, then closed his eyes and teleported into the Sacred Groove, next to the other stone as Link hit the ground, then slid down it to sit on the floor. He then teleported into the treetops when he heard Link running into the area.

Sheik leaned against the trunk, wrapping his arms around his legs as he tried to calm himself, but it was difficult with Link running around calling out to him. He knew it wasn't fair of him to do this but he had to get away before he did something stupid.

He jumped and almost fell out of the tree when the sound of one of Link's Clawshot's suddenly filled the air, and actually did fall over the edge of the branch he was perched on when it gripped the branch right next to him.

Sheik fell not more then two feet when something broke his fall, and it definitely wasn't part of the tree, but the screaming that suddenly filled the air let him know that Link had actually caught him with his injured arm.

Sheik quickly grabbed a hold of the nearest branch and pulled them over so they finally were nestled safely against the trunk. Link retracted his Clawshot, then cradled his right arm.

"Link…" said Sheik, he felt horrible. Link looked up at him and smiled weakly.

"Hey…the pain will be gone soon, just glad I caught you in time, since I'm pretty sure falling out of a tree would make you to dazed to teleport," said Link, obviously fighting the waves of pain that were shooting through his arm. Sheik covered his face with his hands, then dropped them to his side.

"I wasn't angry at you…I was…just having a moment there, but it seems that the Prelude of Light is a summoning song. Here, I'll putt it on," said Sheik as he grabbed the bottle of the Goddess's Tears that Link had dug out, "I caused this, so I will fix it," then gently removed the bandages around Link's arm and applied the potion.

"Well duh it's a summoning song, I mean that's the reason I'm able to see my bony teacher," said Link.

"I meant it's a summoning song for anyone, or maybe just certain people…I'm not sure, but I ended up meeting a spirit myself," said Sheik, then wrapped the wound back up when Link handed him some fresh bandages.

"Huh? How did that happen?" asked Link, giving a sigh of relief when the pain disappeared.

"Well, I grew bored just sitting there waiting for you to get back, so I tried the Prelude of Light and was able to play it flawlessly. I sat for maybe five more seconds before Icesis alerted me of another's presence, which I still can't understand how I wasn't able to since such a dark aura, but I ended up in the realm of spirits and you'll never guess who I met," said Sheik settling beside Link. Link tapped his fingers on his knee, then just took a shot in the dark.

"Death?" asked Link. Sheik was flabbergasted.

"What! How did you know!" asked Sheik.

"I was kidding! But you actually met _death_? How the hell does that work?" asked Link, then suddenly shouted out in surprise. Sheik then noticed Icesis climbing up Link's leg and finally walked across his belly to settle into Sheik's lap, "Jeeze, why didn't you just climb up the other side?"

"I met Ker…" said Sheik while stroking Icesis's head. Link swung in his direction, making him pop his neck.

"What! Your still alive after meeting the _spirit of violent death_? Is this lets not make any sense week?" asked Link. Sheik laughed, then nodded his head.

"Yes I agree, things haven't been normal for awhile, but you don't seem like the normal kind of guy so this should fit right in," said Sheik, then laughed again at the pointed look Link gave him.

"Just you wait, one of these days I'm gonna prove you aren't a normal guy yourself, but anyway at lest your safe that's what matters, so lets head back ok?" asked Link. Sheik nodded, then suddenly thought about Ker's offer.

He looked back at Link, who had snatched Icesis and was now busy getting his fingers attacked. No, not yet, but soon he'll have to tell him. Who was he to decline an offer like that? He might need those skills later, or Link might need him to.

"So are we leaving or what?" asked Link, catching Sheik's attention. The Sheikah quickly nodded then teleported them to the horses.

Link put Icesis on the ground just as Epona and Maelstrom trotted up to them.

"It's about time you guys showed up," said Trill as he flew to the plank that was closet to Link. Epona snorted at the bird, obviously annoyed about something. Maelstrom didn't look to happy either.

"Hey, we've had a busy day…what's going on? What's wrong Epona?" asked Link just when Maelstrom tried pushing Sheik behind him, wanting him to get on.

"Oh she's angry because _I ruined the mood_, good grief, well you two go do that somewhere else if you guys don't want me _ruining the mood_, because this is my place so I'll say what I want!" said Trill to the horses. Link rolled his eyes, then mounted Epona, while Sheik followed and mounted Maelstrom.

"Thanks Trill," said Link as he began to walk away, but Trill flew right in his face.

"Hey! I really don't mind helping you out, but if your going to leave _them _here again then tell them to behave next time! No where in my job description does it say watch live shows of horses doing the _naughty!" _shouted Trill, then flew back to the roof of his shop.

Sheik couldn't help but lean over Maelstrom's back and bust out laughing at the priceless look on Link's face as he pasted him.


	15. Chapter 15

To Sheikah Ninja: Hey its cool, just glad to have you back. I'm still hoping for one of these days where I can access the internet just by a snap of my fingers lol

To Xqueezme: You never know what the future will hold, though in this case it's pretty obviously lol, I thought Epona needs more of the spot light since where would the hero be without his noble steed?

To Emperor Celest: I try to make it as intone with the "Zelda" atmosphere as much as I could, but you really like the chapters with the "kid" in purple? Cool, he definitely becomes an important character later.

Does anyone else think there should be more chapters involving the "kid" in purple?

* * *

Maelstrom galloped into Hyrule field, eager for a run after such a long wait, but Sheik stopped him and turned just in time to see Epona canter past with Link giving Maelstrom a glare as he went past.

"Why are you so angry at him? Maelstrom doesn't have any kind of diseases or anything, so you have nothing to worry about," said Sheik as he caught up to the grumbling hero as Icesis rubbed her face against Link's neck from her perch on top of his shoulder, trying to cheer him up.

"It's nothing personal…It's just the fact that their little rumble in the hay will make her fat soon, which will make her moody, which will get _me _moody, then eventually I can't take her out because I won't want to take the risk of hurting her, which will piss her off even _more_, then finally when the bun comes out of the oven what the hell am I going to do with it? I can't just take a break from being a hero to raise a horse and its not fair to just dump that kind of reasonability on Renaldo," said Link as he slowed Epona to a walk. Sheik had Maelstrom walk beside Epona, then turned toward Link.

"Is there any of your friends that might want a horse?" asked Sheik.

"I don't think so, most of my good friends aren't even Hyrulian, I can't think of a reason why Ralis would want a horse and any Goron would crush the poor thing, but I could ask the guys at Telma's Bar, heck Telma might even need a spare horse," said Link, then jumped when Icesis suddenly swung her head to the right and hissed. Narrowing his eyes, he dug out his Clawshot then sent the chain hurling toward a Bokoblin that stood near a tree, then had Epona trample over it as they went past, "Thanks girl,"

"You could always just sell it," said Sheik as he brought out one of his daggers then threw it at a approaching flying Kargarok.

"What? Are you crazy! I couldn't just sell it to some random person! What if they don't treat it well? Epona would kill me anyway," said Link as Epona gave a snort as if agreeing with him, then suddenly bolted to the right as a Boar came charging past her, the jolt throwing Icesis off his shoulder. Link tried catching a hold of her but missed, then looked up just in time to see Sheik bring his arm back and chuck another dagger at the boar before it could even turn around.

"What the hell? These suckers are never over on this side of the field…and are there more monsters around here or is that just me?" asked Link, then kicked Epona into a canter when Icesis ran up a tree then jumped into Sheik's arms. The Sheikah quickly followed Link, keeping a keen eye on anything he thought was a threat.

"There wasn't this many monsters here before we entered the forest, so my guess is that what the Hero of Time said is indeed true. They are desperate to be rid of you, so I image they will go to the extreme to achieve that," said Sheik as he hurled two daggers at a approaching pair of Bulblin's.

"I need to get to Kakariko to check if everyone's ok," said Link then kicked Epona into a gallop. Sheik followed, having to continuously throw daggers at approaching aerial and ground monsters while Link lead the way.

They sped around a corner and onto the bridge leading to Kakariko, but had both horses skid to a stop right in the middle of it because of what they saw in front of them.

The gates of Kakariko were closed, and they plainly saw why. A mass of Bokoblin's and Bulblin's were attempting to bash it open, while some were mounted on boars and were ramming into it. Time seemed to freeze as the mass turned and saw them, then as if awakened by the now growling Icesis, they suddenly left the gates and charged at them, the boars quickly taking the lead.

Sheik got ready to turn around, but Link had Epona suddenly bolt forward. Panicking, the Sheikah clutched Icesis to his chest, then shot after the hero, about to yell what a reckless thing he was doing but Epona suddenly veered to the left, completely avoiding the mass of monsters. Confused, Sheik followed, running through a narrow passageway that he now recognized once they reached the field. This was where he and Maelstrom were attacked.

Epona then made a sharp right, "Maelstrom can jump pretty high right?" yelled Link as they sped down another path.

"To a degree why?" Sheik yelled back.

"You may need him to soon," yelled Link, and then the closed northern gates came into view. Link urged Epona on, then cleared the gate.

Sheik held Maelstrom's mane in a death grip. Oh Nayru help him…

He urged his stallion on then barely cleared the top and landed on the other side. He quickly caught up to Link, who had waited for him. They both looked back at the mass that now blocked the northern gate.

"Fuckers are lucky I can't wield my bow properly…"muttered Link then turned and cantered into town, Sheik trailing behind him. He let Icesis roam when they entered town, then saw Renaldo come rushing toward them.

"Thank Goddess! Your both alright, well I guess you've seen our uninvited guests outside then?" asked Renaldo as they both stopped near the stairs of the bomb shop. Sheik jerked his head in the direction they came from when he heard several blasting sounds.

"How long have those guys been out there?" asked Link, not worried about the strange far off sound that was making Sheik rather nervous, as he kept looking back.

"That's Barnes being rather creative with his bombs, that's the only way we have of hindering them for now I'm afraid, aside from the Goron's throwing rocks and such, but they haven't been here more then ten minutes I think. I must ask for your aid Sheikah, you're the only one that can get help fast enough, because I doubt those gates will hold much longer and don't worry Link. We've already sent those who can not fight up toward Death Mountain," said Renaldo as Link gave a sigh of relief. Sheik quickly called Icesis back to him, then brought his arm down so he could grab a hold of her when she leapt from the ground.

"Alright, Sheik you go tell Zelda. I'll stay here and help everyone," said Link as he dug in his pouch for one of his Clawshots.

"No, it's to risky for you to be handling such a large scale of enemies when you can't wield a sword properly," said Sheik as he urged Maelstrom closer to the hero.

"What! I'm not hiding or running away from these bastards, I can handle them just fine, " Link growled as he jerked two fingers toward Sheik, "You really except me to abandon them! I don't need you by my side every second of every day! They need my help!" Sheik's hand shot out and grasped Link's right arm, making the Hero hunch over and wince when he put pressure on it.

"If you would stop being so reckless like you _said _you would, then maybe I would have had the chance to tell you that no one is abandoning them! I'm taking you to inform the Princess while I return to help!" Sheik growled back at him. Link's eyes widened, then Icesis was shoved into his arms, "She never has liked the Princess, but she still can find her much faster then you can," Then Sheik loosened his grip and then teleported them away.

The Princess's private garden suddenly came into view, but the Princess herself was no where to be seen. Sheik quickly released Link then turned toward the sharp green eyes that looked up curiously from Link's arms.

"Find Zelda, but behave understand? Make haste Link, Kakariko will be overrun before long, " then teleported away before Link could say a word. Link cursed as Icesis suddenly leapt from his arms then took off. He sped after her, running through Zelda's chamber.

_Holy crap! This room is bigger then all of Ordon!_

Link was now rather happy that he had a guide that knew her way out of this maze of a room. They suddenly burst into the hall of the Castle, Link barely missing a collision with several maids, then sped after the white streak that disappeared around a corner, ignoring the surprised voices that obviously were taking about the man that just burst from the Princess's private chamber.

He skidded around a corner then shot after what he swore wasn't just any old cat.

_Good Nayru! She could at lest let me catch up every few minutes!_

Link finally managed to follow her right up to a wide double door, then leaned over on this knees gasping for breath as Icesis stood on her hind legs with her front paws up against the door meowing at him as if to say _what are you waiting for_?

Link gave her a pointed look, then walked up and threw open the doors.

He immediately spotted the Princess far at the other end of a large table of people that suddenly went silent at his entrance. Icesis leapt on the table then sprinted across it, not touching a single glass, then stood in front of Zelda. She looked back at Link to gave him an impatient look though it went unnoticed as he was still busy trying to catch his breath.

"Finally…found…you….we ne…need help in…Kakariko…" wheezed Link as he gripped each of the doors to keep himself from hitting the floor. Zelda quickly stood up from her sit, making everyone else stand, then strode toward Link, Icesis ninja sprinting across the table again to sit by Link's side.

"Meeting is adjourned!" Zelda said as she reached the end of the table and faced everyone standing.

Link started when someone suddenly came up from behind him and threw an arm over his right shoulder and pushed him backwards in an attempt to restrain him. Reacting on instinct, Link grips the arm with his left hand then hurls his body weight forward, flipping his attacker over his back then crashes him to the ground.

Guards started to fill the doorway, but none would approach the heaving Hero that now stood with a defensive stance in front of the table, and a growling Icesis near his feet seemed to make it even worse.

"Stop!" shouted Zelda as she reached Link's side, "There is absolutely no reason all of you should be in my court room assaulting the Great Hero now get out!" The guards quickly stumbled over each other as they tried to obey her command. Zelda sighed, placing her hand on Link's shoulder as the guards continued to stumble out the doorway.

"Now what's wrong with Kakariko Link?" asked Zelda as the nobles began leaving the room muttering to themselves. Link took a deep breath, then shook his head.

"No time to explain, just sent help to Kakariko before its to late," said Link, then turned slightly to his right when Icesis started to growl again. He suddenly was met with a pair of violet eyes framed with dirty blonde hair.

"Oh this is my brother Victor, the one I told you about last time? Take Link to the stables will you Victor? Since I'm sure the stubborn man won't stay out here and out of trouble," said Zelda, giving Link a pointed look, then strode from the room and shouted for the guards to come back.

"Well it's a pleasure to finally meet the Great Hero of Hyrule, but what a shame our meeting happened on such an inconvenient time," said the prince as he strode from the room with Link in tow.

"Ya, that tends to happen around me a lot," said Link as Icesis stayed glued to his left side, hissing whenever Victor would venture to close to him. Link finally picked her up and held her in the curve of his left arm, but she still managed to bend her body so she was always facing this new person that she obviously didn't like.

"Gather the archers and send them immediately with the troops my sister is gathering near the front gate," commanded Victor as they pasted a sentry, completely ignoring the growling cat in Link's arm. The man bowed with a "Yes sir," then hurried away.

_Hmmm…this guy isn't scared of Icesis, a first so far, and everyone seems to take him in high regard. I can definitely tell he's been a prince his whole life, though. _

The sentries standing by the doors of the stables immediately hurried to open the doors wide as they walked pasted. Rows of horses suddenly came into view, some bending their head over their stall to observe their new visitors.

Victor went straight to the other end of the huge barn where a stable boy held a chocolate colored mare as it stood regally awaiting it's master. The prince strode up to the mare then hoisted himself onto its back. A bay stallion was brought up next, his ears perking up when Link went to stand near his face.

"Hey there buddy, you mind giving me a ride?" asked Link softly to the horse. It tilted its head, then nuzzled his hand. The stable boy stared wide eyed at the Hero.

"Damon hasn't liked many people…so the rumor is true? Do you really ride a horse made of lightning that was sent to you by the Goddess's?" asked the boy excitedly. Link just snorted as he hoisted himself on the stallions back then let Icesis climb on his shoulder, still glaring at the prince who just waited not more then five feet away examining his spotless finger nails.

"Oh please, Epona may run like lightning, but she certainly isn't made of it, and sent by the Goddess's? What kind of crap is that? She's just a regular horse like I'm just a regular guy…well aside from having to do some pretty gnarly stuff…in gnarly ways, but anyway, we need to get going," said Link, then grabbed Icesis from his shoulder and held her in the curve of his right arm against his chest, then bent over Damon's back and kicked the stallion into a gallop, easily clearing the fence the sentries had barely began opening.

Victor chuckled as the stable boy gawked at the Hero.

"And Damon has always been afraid of jumping fences! He really can do anything!" exclaimed the boy. Victor turned toward him.

"Have Lilith's and Star Fire's stall ready before we return Adam," said Victor then turned and had Lilith gallop after Link, followed by an escort of ten soldiers.

Link shot through the gardens around the castle, avoiding people even as some of them threw themselves out of the way. He finally reached the front gates where Zelda sat on top of a white mare. She turned toward him, raising an eye brow as he had Damon skid to a halt in front of her.

"I knew you couldn't wait to join the fray, but sprinting through the garden's? That's supposed to be where people take peaceful walks, not where they have to avoid being trampled by random horses that come barreling through there," said Zelda, chuckling as Link rolled his eyes.

"Not my fault if they don't pay attention to their surroundings, now why again aren't we heading to Kakariko?" asked Link as he stared at the mass of soldier near the front gate. Icesis wasn't liking being near this many people, making her squirm in attempts to try and escape Link's held on her, but he held her tighter, "Stop that, they aren't going to do anything to you,"

"You just missed Sheik actually. He just informed me that the monsters had left right after braking through the Northern Gate and didn't even go after one person, they just turned around and fled, so I've sent a squadron to chase them across the Great Bridge of Eldin then another to head them off once they make it back to the Northern part of Hyrule Field, and I guess your wanting to go join them?" asked Zelda as Link was already looking for a clear route through the mass of soldiers.

"They aren't getting away with this shit anymore. I mean I thought their king would have them behave now, but instead it seems like they are getting worse! Who the hell did this guy team himself up with this time?" growled Link as he moved Damon to the other side of Zelda to try and spot a clear route of escape.

Victor then galloped up with his escort staying a feet away. Icesis immediately swung in his direction and growled, but the prince ignored her as he had Lilith stand by Zelda's white mare.

"Well, it seems Star Fire has healed rather well which is a relief. I was afraid I would have to start and win yet another verbal battle where I had to convince you _not _to ride a crippled horse," said Victor once he gave Link a nod, then smirked as Zelda gave him a glare, but then swatted at him playfully.

"Oh hush you, Star Fire is nearly indestructible, much like Link here," said Zelda laughing when Link swung around to give her a pointed look, but then had to bend over a severally pissed off Icesis to keep her from pouncing on the royals, "Jeeze girl what's your problem? You got a bone to pick with them or something? Hey where is Sheik anyway?" he backed Damon away as he tried smoothing the hair that stuck up on every inch of the cats body.

Victor finally seemed to acknowledge Icesis's presence, but gave her nothing but a snort before returning his attention back to his sister who looked at Icesis sadly.

"She never has liked me, and she really doest like Victor for some reason, but I think she needs to be with Sheik right now. He should be back any minute," said Zelda. Link looked up at her confused.

"Back from where?" asked Link.

"He went with the squadron that chased the monsters over the Great Bridge of Eldin, and don't ask me why Link," she said as Link closed his mouth, "That's something Sheik will tell you if he wishes,"

"Perhaps if the Sheikah didn't bring his destructive _pet _then it wouldn't such a nuisance now would it?" muttered Victor.

"Don't start Victor, I'm already getting a headache from this mess," said Zelda as Link gave Victor a hard look. He was going to ask Victor about his sudden change in attitude when Icesis suddenly swung to her left then struggled to escape his arms, meowing frantically. Turning, Link then caught sight of Sheik as he strode toward them, so he let Icesis leapt from his arms and sprint to the Sheikah's side.

Zelda followed his line of sight and also caught sight of him, but then swung toward Victor.

"Have these soldiers gather out in Hyrule Field alright? _Victor_," said Zelda as Victor glared at the Sheikah that now stood by Link's side. He humphed, then kicked Lilith into a canter, heading toward the mass of Soldiers. Link stared after him.

"What the hell is his problem?" asked Link. Zelda sighed while Sheik merely stayed silent as he stroked Icesis's back.

"It's nothing you need to worry about Link, now are you going to join those who will _try _to get a reason why these beasts attacked Kakariko?" asked Zelda, but Sheik now chose to became part of the conversation.

"They are gone princess," said Sheik. Zelda looked furious.

"What! I told them not to kill them all! Did they not at lest capture one of those Bulblin's? I know they can talk now!" shouted Zelda.

"No one killed a single creature princess. We chased them toward the Northern part of Hyrule Field, but once they rounded a corner, they simply disappeared. We eventually ran into the other squadron that awaited us at the other end but they claim that nothing pasted them and it is not possible for them to pass that point before they even got there," said Sheik. Zelda stared at him in astonishment, while Link narrowed his eyes.

"There's no way…those boars they ride aren't that fast and those Bokoblins aren't the sharpest tool in the shed while those Bulblins aren't much better, so I cant even fathom how they could just vanish without some help from in outside source…Midna was actually the only one that I saw doing something like that, but the mirror is destroyed so I doubt anyone form the twilight is aiding them," said Link, then turned as Victor came cantering back.

"Did you hear? They all say that those things all but disappeared! What is with this nonsense?" asked Victor as he stopped by Zelda' side.

"Yes, I just heard. By Din this is a disaster! Listen Link, I'm sure your worried about everyone back in Kakariko so why don't you go and get Sheik and catch up with everyone while I try to make some kind of plan of action from this mess," said Zelda nodding him, then kicked Star Fire into a canter. Victor walked up to Link.

"Well, one of these days I would like to have a real conversation with you, perhaps test this rumor I hear about you having rather excellent swordsmanship skills hm? Until next time Great Hero," said Victor, bowing his head slightly, then turned and had Lilith follow his sister.

Link stared after him, trying to decide if he liked the guy or not.

_He's not as much of a stuck up noble as I thought he would be…maybe a friendship with a royal other then Zelda isn't such an impossibility…_

He finally sighed, then dismounted.

"You ready to go Sheik? I think I'll just leave this guy here…you can just teleport us right?" asked Link, then turned around when he didn't get an answer but found that Sheik wasn't even there.

_What the hell? This is the second time he's done this to me! _

Link grumbled, about to climb on Damon's back again then jumped when someone placed a hand on his back.

"Forgive me, I just thought you got off your horse for a reason so I came back when you were getting back on," said Sheik as Icesis meowed irritably from his arms, obviously not wanting to be here anymore.

"Dame right I was! Why do you always manage to vanish when I'm talking to you? I look like some kind of idiot just standing here talking to myself!" said Link as he pointed a finger at Sheik, "But whatever, can we just get out of here?" Icesis meowed again as if to agree with him.

"As you wish," said Sheik then held out his hand. Link grasped it, then they teleported away.


	16. Chapter 16

They reappeared in Kakariko. Link looked around hesitantly, dreading what he might see but suddenly something shot at him and knocked him to the ground. Sheik chuckled as Link looked down to see Colin wrapped around his middle.

"I was so worried! Did you see all those monsters that trashed the northern gates? We all were climbing up the slope to Death Mountain when a Goron came rolling up to tell everyone that Kakariko had been breached! And we hadn't heard from you in so long!" shouted Colin though his voice was muffled since he had his faced shoved in Link's shirt.

Link sat up then put his right arm around the distraught boy as Sheik walked away to give them privacy.

"Hey now, you should know by now that it takes way more then a few monsters to take me out. Now why don't you tell me what happened ok?" asked Link as he rubbed circles on the boys back. Colin looked up at him and nodded.

"Well, Beth and I were sitting by the spring while Talo and Malo were standing near the shop arguing about something, but then all of a sudden a Goron comes rolling in town and says that there was a mass of monsters heading straight for here so he closed the southern gates," said Colin, then looked to his right when the other children came rushing over, "Then Renaldo came over and gathered us all together with everyone else and told us to go straight toward Death Mountain, there we had Goron's waiting for us and they helped us up the net that covered the cliff, but we didn't get very far before one of them rolled up to us and said that intruders had broken through the front gate. Then like right after he said that, another one comes rolling over and says that they were leaving! It was so weird! We all eventually came back down and nothing was out of place…its like they were just messing with us," Beth came to stand next to Colin while Talo and Malo stood off to the side.

"Well those monsters were lucky that they left! Because I would have given them all a good thrashing!" shouted Talo proudly. Malo just gave his brother a dull look.

"Yes…you would have stood up against all two hundred or so of them and still have the nerve to…_give them a good thrashing _even though you can't even stand being near cricket for more then a second," said Malo, then quickly turned to Link before his brother could retaliate, "So, its about time you got here. I assume that you had something to do with the monsters actual disappearance from the town?"

"No, I was actually at Hyrule Castle getting reinforcements, but those monsters fled like the cowards they are before they could even leave the front gates," said Link.

"I thought that's why it happened…" muttered Malo. Link blinked.

"Why what happened?" asked Link. Malo rolled his eyes.

"Really? You don't see the _real _reason why they left? Because their target wasn't here anymore," said Malo. Link stood up, then crossed his arms, laying his injured one on top.

"Are you saying I was their target? I wasn't here when they were attacking Kakariko to begin with Malo," said Link.

"Well, they wouldn't have known that would they? Unless of coarse there target just happens to come riding up to the front door. Guess you also didn't notice that not a single one of them stayed by the southern gate? Even when it was about a poke away from falling off its hinges? No, they all went after you," said Malo. Link stared at the kid.

_Oh Goddesses, could this…shadow really be so desperate that it will send monsters to every place that it thinks I'm going to be at? _

"But…how…how would they even know? Sheik had teleported us away!" said Link. Malo raised an eye brow.

"Well, they came busting in here screaming and hollering, not long after you did teleport away and looked like they wanted nothing more then to burn this whole place to the ground. Everyone stood ready for them near the bomb shop…I know this because, unlike everyone else, I didn't flee when word reached Kakariko about invaders. I stayed near the ledge of the hot spring and watched from my high perch and guess what happened? As soon as your Sheikah friend joined the others, the monsters stopped and this mass confusion seemed to happen then it looked like they were looking around, some actually pointing to your friend, then just turned around and left," said Malo.

Link felt cold.

_This place almost got destroyed because of me?…and they associate Sheik with me now? These bastards are not that smart! _

"Something doesn't seem right…there's no way they would know that I wasn't here just because I wasn't on the front lines…and why would it matter if Sheik was with you guys? They should at lest be used to the image that I go solo," said Link, frustrated as he ran his right hand through his hair, "Someone has to be giving them orders…these guys are not smart enough to pull off a stunt like this and then _not _go charging in recklessly,"

"Well, you have a go at that theory and then tell me how it goes," said Malo then turned and walked away. Talo kicked a rock as he also turned to follow his brother.

"Link…I'm scared, for you in mean. If what Malo said is true then you will have a whole lot of monsters that are after you," said Colin as Beth gave him a nod.

"Hey, there were plenty of monsters after me during my last adventure and I'm just fine right? There's nothing for you to worry about ok guys? I'll be fine. Now go on now," said Link as he drew them in for a hug.

Colin and Beth gave him a grateful smile, then turned and walked away. Link blinked as he noticed that Colin was holding Beth's hand, then smirked.

_Wow, gotta comment on that next time…ha, finally made a move huh Colin? Good for you._

Link shook his head, smiling softly, then looked around for his missing guide. Walking down the length of Kakariko, Link finally spots him near the far end of the spring.

"We got some rather unsettling news," said Link as he approached Sheik. The Sheikah turned toward.

"Well, I've got some news of my own. You first?" asked Sheik. Link frowned.

"Is yours bad? Cause I think I would rather have good news right now," asked Link.

"I'm afraid I don't know if it is good or bad, but it appears that the meeting you interrupted was something important and Zelda thinks you should be present for it, though it will not happen until tomorrow morning," said Sheik as he petted Icesis from her perch on Maelstroms back.

"Tomorrow _morning_? Why not the afternoon, when everyone's not so tired…" Whined Link, obviously not liking the fact that he had to get up early for a meeting.

_It's probably going to be so boring to…_

"Link, not everyone thinks that getting up early is a form of torture, as how your treating it. Some people actually enjoy starting off their day when it isn't so hot or just wish to get things done so they have the rest of the day to relax," said Sheik, chuckling as the Hero rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, It's not like we have any leads on where to go anyway…_oh my Goddess_!" Link suddenly shouted, making Sheik jump out of his skin, "I forgot about my teacher! Man! He was right next to Hyrule Castle Town too!…um, hey Sheik, you think you could teleport us to the western entrance to Hyrule Castle Town? Or I could just ride actually, if you don't want to," said Link as Epona approached him, nuzzling his hand.

"I can take you if you wish," said Sheik, then turned, remembering something, and walked toward the side of the spring and grabbed a shield that laid against a rock. Walking back, Sheik then handed it to Link. The Hero smiled, taking the shield gratefully.

"I thought you should have that if we are going to be handling large scale enemies like this," said Sheik.

"Thanks," said Link as he put his arms through the straps to put it behind him, but found it difficult when he couldn't bend his right arm that far. Cursing he tried moving it at an angle, but it was suddenly pulled away from his back. Looking behind him, he saw Sheik walk beside Epona and attach it to the side of her saddle.

"The weight from this will no doubt hurt your right shoulder before long, which will make it sore and I'd rather you be fit if we are forced to do battle," said Sheik as he stepped away from Epona. She snorted, not liking all the extra weight on one side of her but seemed to understand why it needed to be there. Sheik turned to see Link glaring at his feet.

"Dame it…I can't even wield my equipment like I'm used to! Arrghhhh! I swear that kid or guy or whatever is lucky that he has those fucking shadows to do his dirty work! Wait until I get my arm healed you little tyrant! You are so going to pay for this," growled Link. Sheik walked up to the heaving Hero and placed a hand on his arm.

"You will get your chance Link, and I will help you should he try to pull anymore tricks out of his sleeve, but for now I think we should focus on our current problems," said Sheik, then lowered his hand. Link took a deep breath, then gave the Sheikah a half smile.

"Thanks, man am I glad you decided to come with me. I'd be hopelessly lost or running rampage if you weren't here…jeeze," said Link. Sheik chuckled.

"Well, I wouldn't let you just wander off on your own even if I wasn't welcomed. After all, it is my duty to be your guide and protector," said Sheik as he walked back up to Maelstrom. Link tilted his head, giving him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" asked Link.

"Well…if you had wished for me to leave, then I would have left you be. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't watch over you from afar," said Sheik as he stroked Maelstroms neck. Link snickered.

"So…basically you would have stalked me to keep me safe?" said Link as he smirked at him.

"You make it sound worse when you put it like _that_," said Sheik as he gave the Hero a pointed look, "But anyway, what was your news?"

"Oh…That was something that Malo pointed out actually. As much of a smartass as that kid is, he is rather observant, so he noticed something while the monsters were trying to raid Kakariko," said Link as he scratched his head, "He said that when we approached, everyone one of those monsters near the southern gate had left and chased us, even though they were like a hairs length away from breaking it down. Then once we got in through the other side and teleported away, he sat up near the hot spring and watched from afar what happened when they broke open the northern gates. Then I'm sure you noticed when you joined everyone else near the bomb shop that they just stopped and seemed to be looking for a specific target right? From what Malo said, it seems like they associated you with me…like they knew that since you were here alone, then I wouldn't be here at all," Sheik sighed, then leaned against Maelstrom.

"Yes, their behavior did seem rather odd. I wonder how they knew we were coming here? Or…did they know?" asked Sheik, coming to the same horrifying thought that Link had.

"No, there's no way. You saw yourself the surprise that was written all over their faces when we showed up…meaning that they were raiding Kakariko just because they _thought _I was there," Link growled as he clutched his hands in fists.

_I can't stay here…I'm putting everyone in danger…_

"Link, perhaps you should just go see your teacher? Maybe he will have some answers for us," said Sheik suddenly.

"Sounds like a plan," said Link, then accepted the offered hand and teleported away.

The scenery changed from the quiet nearly empty spring to a noisy crowded area full of people.

"Sheik! I said the western entrance, not inside the town's square itself!" shouted Link over the loud voices around him. The Sheikah leaned closer.

"This _is _the western entrance Link, look," said Sheik then gestured straight ahead of them to reveal the town's entrance, then pointed toward his left, "Link…I think you better go over there now,"

Link over in the direction he pointed to, trying to see what made him suddenly sound so urgent, then caught a glance of gold not far off. He then saw that these people were all soldiers, and most of them were actually crowding around the platform that his teacher was perched on.

_Well…for once he gets a taste of what I go through whenever I go into town…_

Link then began to fight his way over to the golden wolf when suddenly a soldier among the crowd caught sight of him and gawked. Link noticed the guys black eye pretty much immediately when he stood in front of him.

"Its the Hero of Twilight! It's really you! Oh my Goddess's! Do you remember me? I was the soldier that you knocked out in the court room! But of coarse I wouldn't have done that if I had known it was you but I was just doing my job, but wow that was…so…exhilarating! I mean…!" Link cut the guy off with a shove.

"Listen I'm kinda busy now so I'll ah, talk to you later," said Link as he hurried past him.

"Oh of coarse! Have you come to take care of the wild beast? I bet you could take it down easily!" said the soldier excitedly as he rushed after him and jogged by the frustrated hero's side.

"What wild beast?" asked Link.

"Oh your such a tease! Oh! Your testing me aren't you? I know what I'm talking about, it's that gold wolf over there. It's been growling at anyone that comes near it, but you know that of coarse, you probably had plenty of experience fighting things much bigger then that," said the soldier. Link rolled his eyes, then quickened his pace, making the soldier run to keep up.

_Why the hell doesn't Sheik do something about this guy?_

Link turned, about to ask him that but found Sheik wasn't there.

_What the hell! Why does he keep doing this to me!_

Link then darted to the right and used the wall to help jump over a few heads that looked up when the Hero soared over them. Making a quick turn, he finally reached the platform, then ran along its edges until he reached the front where vines had grown down the side. He strode up toward the vines, but stopped just in front of them when he saw a familiar face approach him.

"Well, I'm guessing you've heard of our furry situation here yes? He hasn't moved from his perch, and he doesn't seem savage so I'd rather not kill such an interesting creature, but I cant have it just sitting here outside of the city walls. Have you got a solution perhaps?" asked Victor as he had Lilith walk up to Link.

"Don't worry. This guy is a friend of mine actually, he'll move when I get up there," said Link, then began to climb the vines rather slowly, still having trouble because he had to pretty much climb using one hand, but then turned and looked down when he almost reached the top, " Oh, and I'm going to disappear once I get up there but don't be alarmed, it always happens so you can have everyone leave alright," Then he pulled himself up over the top just as Victor gave him a weird look.

Link dusted himself off, then looked up to see the golden wolf snort at him, his single red eye giving him an impatient look.

"I'm sorry ok? I ah, I kinda got caught up in a few things but I'm here now so lets get this party started," said Link as he rubbed his hands together and got in a defensive stance. The golden wolf just rolled its eye, then stood and pounced at him.

Link then appeared back in the spirit realm, the wolf standing a few feet away. It shifted into his warrior form, then brought his sword and shield up and suddenly charged at Link, making him yelp and throw himself to the side.

Link quickly unsheathed the Master Sword and barely had enough time to raise it to block the blade that came hurling toward his head.

"Hey! I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to make you wait this long!" shouted Link as he sidestepped to avoid a jab toward his chest. The warrior seemed to be ignoring him, much to Link's dismay.

_Dame it, I've never seen him fight this harshly before! Note to self…never make teacher angry again…_

Link was having a horrible time trying to land any solid blows because he wasn't used to using his right arm, and finally after a swift kick from the warrior to send him stumbling backwards, Link was hurled half way across the room by the jump strike that quickly followed the kick.

Link hit the ground and suddenly had a boot on his chest with the warriors blade posed right over his neck. Gasping for breath, Link stared fearfully at his teacher, wondering if he was angry enough to kill him.

"Why are your movements so much slower now?" grumbled the warrior as he stepped aside. Link closed his eyes for a moment, thankful that he didn't become a permanent resident of this place, then got to his feet and sheathed the Master Sword.

"I ah, I ran into someone that robbed me of my sword arm, so I'm forced to use my other one until I can get it healed," said Link. The warrior cursed.

"Who is this person that has done this to you?" asked the warrior.

"He's…I don't know actually. We never got his name," said Link, then snickered, "But I think he _would _have introduced himself if he hadn't been jumped by both Icesis and you the two times we've seen him. He certainly seems vain enough,"

"This is not good, you can't defeat the evil imprisoning the sages if you can't even wield a sword properly and you don't have the time to stop and learn how to wield one with your other hand," said the warrior, sighing as he placed the tip of his blade on the ground and leaned on the hilt.

"Well, my big brother said this Saria chick would help me heal my arm and Sheik said he'd help me learn how to fight left handed as we went along," said Link as he ran a hand through his hair, "I just have to find this Saria chick. I think he said…the Kokiri Forest? I've never heard of it but I'm sure it will be on a map,"

The warrior stood there for a moment, just staring at Link, making him shift his feet nervously.

"Saria…?" said the warrior slowly, as if trying to recall an old memory, but then shook his head, "That is fine. The Kokiri will not be easy to find though I'm afraid, and you won't find it on any map either, for no adults have ever made it there before…except one…but that was a different case, though I'm sure if you work with your guide you will find your way there,"

"Alright, oh and what are these pieces of courage anyway?" asked Link.

"I think it would be best if you took this one step at a time, so first you must go to each temple and awaken each sage, then I will tell you what you must do afterward," said the warrior. Link sighed impatiently, but nodded.

"Fine, but won't all the sages be in one spot? With one monster maybe?" asked Link.

"Why would they be in one spot? Each temple stands for something different, just as each sage does," said the warrior.

"Huh? They all look the same to me, except the fact that they are missing one now," said Link.

"What! How could you have seen them already?" exclaimed the warrior.

"I met them when I first went to the Arbiter's Grounds. They were all shiny and standing on these tall pillar things," said Link, then jumped when a loud clanking sound filled the air. The warrior had hit his bony hand to his forehead in disbelief.

"Good Goddess, those are the ancient sages young hero, the ones you search for are seven individuals who all have a line of their own," said the warrior. Link humphed.

"Well how was I supposed to know that? Big brother just said to reawaken the sages, not reawaken seven people who all happen to have a bloodline that just happens to make them sages," grumbled Link.

"Don't get cheeky with me, I don't have to help you," said the warrior. Link sighed.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I appreciate your help a lot actually, so the first thing to do I guess then is to find the first…temple right? That will help me find the sage for that temple?" asked Link.

"Yes, within each temple you will find a medallion that houses the power of each sage. Take each medallion and it will react to your power of courage and point out the sage it belongs to by using a particular beam of light that only you can see…perhaps your guide may see it, I'm not sure if eyes of truth can see things meant only for those who are chosen, but you will find out soon enough," said the warrior. Then stepped closer to Link as he reached behind him then pulled out what looked like to him a rather large diamond with a bright red ball in the center.

"Take this, you will need it to pass the Forest Temple. It is called Din's Fire, simply call forth the power of the spell and slam your fist in the ground and the fury of Din herself will came in the form of wild flames," said the warrior. Link took the spell, looking within the glass diamond in awe.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to use it," said Link gratefully. The warrior nodded.

"Just be sure the spell is on your person or it will not work, and you can use it for many different things other then fighting. The rather dramatic pose I told you about brings out the most from the spells power, but if you merely wish to fill a room with light, then a bit of concentration will cause a small flame to appear in your hand while closing your fist will disperse it," said the warrior.

Link stepped back, holding out his left hand while clutching the diamond case with his right one. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus the spells power into his left hand. Immediately Link felt heat rise from his hand, and opened his eyes to see a small flame burning inches above his palm. Link grinned, moving his hand in different directions, then closed his fist and watched it disappear.

"Good, now try the spell as an attack," said the warrior. Link nodded, excited.

"Don't have to tell me twice," said Link, then brought his right foot back and crouched on the ground, focusing his energy, then brought his left arm back before slamming it into the ground palm first. The reaction was immediate. Flames burst from all around him, then a dome of fire suddenly surrounded him and shot outward.

Link laughed, amazed at the spells power.

"Oh man! This is amazing! Why didn't you give me this sooner!" exclaimed Link as he held the spell up to look through it at a different angle.

"Because you didn't need it then young hero," said the warrior.

"What! I totally would have wanted this during my first adventure! There were plenty of times I could have used it," said Link. The warrior humphed.

"Yes, you would have _wanted _it, but you didn't _need _it. It isn't good to have to much power, especially when you have no need of it. You of all people should know this by now by the enemies you have faced," said the warrior. Link felt ashamed, then tucked the spell away into his pouch.

_He's right…I've got to be careful, lest I become what I fight…_

Link took a deep breath, then looked up at his teacher.

"What's your name? I feel bad always calling you teacher, among other things…and I respect you to much to just say _hey you _and such," said Link, then noticed that the warrior was looking at the ground now.

"It has been so long…I'm afraid I don't remember my name, but I really don't care what you call me…as long as it isn't rude or ridiculous like Kip," said the warrior. Link couldn't help but laugh, just imagining this tall bony warrior just walking up to someone and introducing himself as Kip.

"Oh wow, that was good, but I don't want to just call you teacher…" said Link as he stared at the warrior for a moment, "How about Valor? Can I call you Valor?"

"Why?" asked the warrior. Link shrugged, embarrassed.

"Well…when I look at you, you don't portray an ounce of fear and I wouldn't be this strong to begin with if it hadn't been for you so…" said Link as he scratched his head. The warrior considered it.

"I am touched that you would feel that way, so very well, if you wish to call me Valor then you are welcome to," said Valor. Link grinned.

"Cool! Well, I think I better get going then, or is there something else I need to know?" asked Link.

"No, except that I have other spells and items that you will need to pass the other temples and I will give them to you whenever you summon me, so you will need to play the Song of Hero's at the next howl stone near the lake, until next time young hero," said Valor.

Link then felt himself falling until his feet hit the stone of the platform they had left from. Sighing, Link turned and found that everyone was gone.

"Link! Thank Goddess…are you alright?" exclaimed a feminine voice from over the side of the platform.

_Ok mostly everyone is gone…_

Link walked to the edge and peered over to see Zelda and Sheik looking up at him. Icesis immediately leapt from Sheik's arms and climbed the vines in seconds and ran straight up to Link, lifting her body up to rest her front paws on his leg as she meowed at him. He chuckled as he picked her up.

"You couldn't wait a second could you?" said Sheik dully to Icesis as he teleported to their side. She just continued to rub her face against Link's neck. Sheik just rolled his eyes then placed a hand on Link's shoulder and teleported them back to Zelda.

"What happened! Victor said the holy beast was your friend but then it pounces on you and then disappears!" exclaimed Zelda. Icesis climbed onto Link's shoulder as he put up his hands, trying to get Zelda to calm down.

"Whoa Zelda, its cool. Valor is my friend, but he's a spirit so he has his own way of sending me to the spirit realm so we can talk," said Link.

"Who is Valor?" asked Sheik.

"He's my teacher. He couldn't remember his name so he let me call him Valor, I think it's a cool name for him," said Link, grinning, but then frowned when he remembered what had happened earlier, "Zelda…could you dispatch a squadron of soldiers to Kakariko until I finish this quest? I…I think my enemy will do whatever it takes to win this thing and I don't want anyone to live in fear just because they might be in a place that I often go to," said Link.

"Of coarse, Victor is already forming one as we speak," said Zelda, then her eyes widened as she remembered something, "Sheik did you tell Link about the meeting tomorrow?"

"Yes princess," said Sheik. Zelda put her hands on her hips.

"What did I tell you about calling me princess? Seriously, don't make me sit on you again," asked Zelda irritably. Link gawked as Sheik chuckled, then shook his head at the monarch of Hyrule.

"That wasn't fair, how was I supposed to fight back when you weren't even hurting me? Or wielding a weapon? You know what…that's probably why Icesis doesn't like you, your always picking on me," said Sheik, then dodged as Zelda took a swipe at him.

"Not my fault if your so fun to tease, but back to the matter at hand. Link I want you up, ready and dressed and in my court room by mid morning got it? No excuses! Your one of my best friends now, so I will need your opinion since yours will count more then any of those other idiots _combined_, because I actually trust your judgment, " said Zelda. Link gave her a confused look.

"Huh? Just what is this meeting about?" asked Link.

"The future of Hyrule. I will explain tomorrow, but for now you both best get some sleep alright? I'll see you guys tomorrow," said Zelda then mounted Star Fire and after a wave, she kicked her into a gallop and headed for town.

_The future of Hyrule huh? Must be something to do with this shadow thing, but why call all the snobby nobles together? What are they going to do? Tax it?_

"Would you like to go back to Kakariko or would you rather stay in town?" asked Sheik.

"No way am I staying here, I'll go back to Kakariko where I can sleep without the fear that I might wake up in a bed full of strangers," said Link, then laughed as Sheik gave him a weird look, "Really, there were plenty of times were I didn't have an ounce of alcohol but the next morning I would still wake with like four girls in my bed. There was a guy in there once to, but I can safely say that, after doing the whole cat leapt to the ceiling, that guy definitely tried learning how to fly out my window,"

"You have a story for everything don't you?" asked Sheik, then snatched his cat off Link's shoulder's, "And stop stealing my cat, because she's _mine_, and your reckless nature is starting to rub off on her," Sheik let out a long sigh, then held her back out when he could no longer take Link's kicked puppy look. Grinning widely, Link held her in the curve of his left arm.

"Oh, but one more stop then we can head home," said Link then turned and strode toward the town's entrance.

"Where are we going?" asked Sheik as he followed.

"I have to talk to Shad, because the guy's a walking encyclopedia," said Link as he rounded a corner and headed down the stone walkway toward the western entrance.

"Is this person in Telma's Bar?" asked Sheik, then sighed when Link nodded, " I will meet you there then," He then teleported away.

_Jeeze…does the guy ever walk anywhere? What's so wrong with taking a walk through town?_

Link was forced to eat his words the moment he entered the town.

"Look! It's the Hero of Twilight! Oh, wait! Can you sign my arm?" yelled a random person that was surrounded by to many people for Link to see, but decided he didn't care when everyone started to crowd around him.

Icesis hissed, keeping most people from touching him, and he used this by sprinting through the gaps and letting Icesis scare anyone that got in his way. After breaking out into the open, he made a beeline down the street, passing Agatha's Castle then sprinted across the street where the Goron stand was then jumped over the side of the stairs and burst into Telma's Bar, slamming the door behind him.

Link gasped for breath as he slid down the door as Icesis leapt from his arms before he hit the floor, then looked up at a very amused Sheik that stand in front of him.

"Have a good walk Link?" asked the Sheikah smoothly, then chuckled as he scooted back a step when the Hero threw a pitiful kick in his direction.

"That…was bull…shit…how…can y…you be…so mean…?" wheezed Link from his position on the floor. Sheik laughed fully, then stepped closer and offered his hand to the wheezing hero. Link glared at him, but take the offered hand, then shuffled his way over to the bar and slumped in the seat.

Link smiled gratefully when Telma gave him a glass of water, which he downed and now as working on his second one when Ashei came over.

"Oh, so the hero returns. You have something interesting to tell this time ya?" asked Ashei as she took a sit on his left side while Sheik leaned against the wall on his right. Icesis leapt onto the counter and then jumped back a step when Louise jumped up there as while. Sheik tensed when the cats inspected each other, ready to grab Icesis should she start anything, but they seemed to deem each other tolerable, though they sat a good three feet away from each other.

"Is Shad here actually?" asked Link.

"No, he actually got himself attacked by a horde of Hyrulain Hornets because the stupid man decided to check out a rumor about how their honey could be used as a substitute for red potion. Can you belief that?" asked Ashei as she rolled her eyes, "But I'm sure he will come here even though he should be in bed, because sleeping is just so boring even though it will help heal you much faster, but of coarse that would make sense and boys just can't handle something when it makes sense,"

"I hate to admit it but that's kinda true, then again, what would be the point of going after something if you already knew what it does? I would rather have the thrill of not knowing, I mean if you had the chose between a solid gold box that you were _told _had one gold bar in it or a bigger but plain wooden box that you were told could either have tons of gold or the grim reaper himself inside? Come on, tell me you wouldn't pick that wooden box," said Link. Sheik ran his hand down his face, while Ashei just chuckled and slapped Link's back playfully.

"I'm pretty sure you're one of the few people that would chose that wooden box just for the thrill of it, but I like living thank you very much, and luck has never been that great of a friend to me," said Ashei, then they all turned toward the door when something that resembled a walking match came inside.

"Oh my Goddess…Shad is that you?" asked Link.

"Yes Link, its me and _please _don't start with the teasing Ashei, I'm afraid I've used up all my restraint on trying to keep that doctor from bankrupting me…" mumbled the inflated red faced Shad as he walked over to sit beside Link. Link gave him an apologetic look but Ashei suddenly looked furious.

"What! How much did that sack of rat turds charge you!" shouted Ashei angrily, making everyone wince.

"Um…six hundred rupees…" said Shad hesitantly.

"What! The supplies don't even cost half that much! Why don't you stand up for yourself? This is not happening," growled Ashei as she stood and stormed over to the door, but then turned swiftly, "I'm not finished with you Shad! So you better be here when I get back!" Then she opened the door and slammed it behind her.

"Oh Nayru help me…Ashei's going to murder me, but I just cant do it! I'm good with learning words and understanding them, but not with using them when I'm under stress!" said Shad desperately. Link patted his back gently.

"Hey, she's just looking out for you…in a very verbal way, but I see you hadn't asked her yet…" said Link slyly. Shad looked at him wide eyed.

"I tried! Really I did! But again with my horrible ability at commutation, she ended up thinking I was trying to telling her that I was a girl…" said Shad. Link laughed, slapping the counter.

"What? How in the world did she think that out of a simple _I love you_?" asked Link, still snickering.

"Because I didn't start with a simple _I love you_! I couldn't gather enough courage to, so I tried beating around the bush for a bit but you know how _that _went now," said Shad, " that woman is going to be the death of me…"

"Perhaps you should write her a letter," said Sheik suddenly. They both stared at him for a moment then Link grinned.

"See? Sheiky has an idea you haven't tried yet so there you go," said Link, "Oh, and I have something to ask you actually. You how a lot about the history of when the Hero of Time existed right?"

"I've studied many things from around that timeframe why?" asked Shad.

"Well, I've got a new quest I gotta do now and it's going to be a big one it looks like, so I was wondering if you know anything about the temples of old?" asked Link. Shad looked at him thoughtfully.

"Well there were six temples in all. The Forest Temple, Fire Temple, Water Temple, Shadow Temple, Spirit temple, and Light Temple or other wise known as the Temple of Time. The Hero of Time had already cleansed these temples a long time ago and returned peace to the land," said Shad.

"Hmm, well might as well start in order. Do you know where the Forest Temple is?" asked Link.

"I'm afraid not. To my knowledge, the only people to have ever been there were the Hero of Time and the Kokiri," said Shad. Link eye's widened.

"The Kokiri? What are they actually?" asked Link.

"They are supposedly a race of eternal children that live in the lost woods," said Shad.

"Did you know anything about this?" asked Link as he turned to Sheik. The Sheikah shook his head.

"I had heard of these Kokiri before, but I never thought they were a race of eternal children…does this mean we will meet some that might have known the Hero of Time?" asked Sheik.

"It's possible, and now that I think about it, there's one person that I think is just as eternal as these children and just happens to know the forest pretty well. That dame Skull Kid. He's so going to mess with us but I can't think of anyone else that could help us find the Kokiri," said Link.

"I can't think of anyone off the top of my head, so I'll have to agree. This friend of yours is most likely your best bet," said Shad.

Link got up and stretched, but suddenly jerked forward when pain shot through his right arm. Sheik immediately went to his side.

"Is it your arm?" asked the Sheikah. Link nodded, just trying to focus his will power and not scream out in pain as the waves started to hit him.

Link hurriedly reached into his pouch to pull out the silver Goddess's Tears, but Sheik took it from him and pushed him slightly so he was sitting down again.

"You'll probably spill it all over yourself so be still," muttered Sheik as he unwrapped the bandages.

"Don't have anymore bandages," grunted Link, trying to keep himself composed. Ashei then burst back into the bar, muttered to herself.

"The bastard had already spent it on useless garbage! So I made him give me some other stuff instead…what's going on?" asked Ashei.

"An old wound is being rather stubborn. You wouldn't happen to have bandages in the stuff you made him give you would there?" asked Sheik as he gently rubbed the potion on the wound, making Link immediately go lax and sigh in relief.

"That's actually mostly what he had, so I have plenty why? You need some?" asked Ashei. Sheik nodded, then accepted the bandages from Ashei and started to wrap the wound back up. Link smiled gratefully, slightly flexing his arm. He then walked over and picked up Icesis who had been snoozing on the counter.

"I think we should leave immediately after that meeting tomorrow Link. You used up almost half the bottle now and I don't want you having an episode when we don't have anymore," said Sheik.

"Sounds fine to me," said Link, then headed for the door, "Thanks for the help Shad, and get to writing that letter," then snickered when Shad's eyes looked ready to pop out of his head as Ashei looked at him curiously.

"It's nothing! He's just saying something about earlier! You know, before he _leaves_," said Shad hurriedly, giving Link a pointed look. The hero just laughed then with a finial wave Sheik teleported them back to Kakariko.

Link sighed, then took a deep breath.

"You know what? When this is over, I'm going to go find me a place away from people. Like out in the wilderness, but of coarse I'll came back a lot but it would be nice to have my own place that's peaceful, quiet, and hidden. Never having random people bothering me or maybe raising a family away from the busy city," said Link as he walked toward the hotel. Icesis seemed perfectly fine sleeping in the curve of Link's left arm.

"Yes, that lifestyle is rather comforting I must admit," said Sheik as he followed him.

"You actually live like that?" asked Link curiously.

"I _had _lived like that, with my mother, but I left the night I had that dream. The time I've spent with you is the most time I've spent outside of my hometown in the sixteen years I've lived there," said Sheik as they entered the hotel.

"Wow, well, I guess I'm gonna have to teach you how to party when this is all over then," said Link, then laughed at the skeptical look Sheik gave him.

"I doubt that Link. I was not raised to be a party kind of guy," said Sheik. Link stopped when they reached his room.

"Hey, I can honesty say from experience that people can change, don't gave me that look, you watch, by the end of this journey, I promise you, I will get you to dance and have fun," said Link confidently. Sheik just rolled his eyes.

"Good luck with that," said Sheik, then held his hands out, "Now give me my cat. Your not stealing her this time," Link pouted, holding her up to his eye level. She just gave him a sleepy look, and meowed.

"Aww, I was getting so used to her sleeping with me…" whined Link.

"Well I was _already _used to her sleeping with me," said Sheik, gesturing to hand her over.

"Hey, I got an idea, what if we just shared a room? Then she'll be with both of us," said Link. Sheik stared at him for a moment.

"You…wouldn't be bothered by that?" asked Sheik hesitantly. Link shook his head.

"The room on the other side of me has two beds so we can switch to that room," said Link. Sheik considered it, then nodded.

"Fine, but Icesis still sleeps with me," said Sheik, after Link muttered a low _fine_, he headed to his own room. He gathered his things and changed into a lose shirt and pants but kept his shawl on. He then picked up his stuff and headed to the new room.

Sheik entered it and found Link already in bed. His stuff was thrown beside his bed then he appeared to have just went straight to sleep. He thought the moon light hit him just right, giving him a soft glow. He quickly shook his head, then headed straight for the other bed. After laying his things neatly at the foot of his bed he finally got into his bed and crawled under the covers.

Sheik closed his eyes and laid there, but felt something was wrong. He then noticed how empty his bed felt. He swung around, growling.

"Link…_Give me my dame cat!" _


	17. Chapter 17

Morning came much harder then it normally did for Sheik.

He had almost allowed himself to admit what a wonderful turn of events when he was offered to share a room with Link, but as he dragged himself out of bed all he could think of was _what the hell were you thinking_?

Sheik didn't get a wink of sleep because he had forgotten about the Hero's insanely loud snoring, which he now was convinced it must be the thunder of the Goddess's made real. He wouldn't be surprised if an earthquake happened somewhere in the world every time one of his snores echoed through the room.

Sheik walked slowly over to Link's bed, pulling every ounce of his will power to not crawl over to his side and curl up like Icesis was near his stomach.

Right at the edge of Link's bed Sheik suddenly stopped, not believing what he was thinking. Not only did he just think about curling up at Link's side, but Icesis was on Link's bed.

Why was Icesis on Link's bed when he clearly remembered wrestling her away from the Hero last night?

She would not leave a place she was comfortable at without a fight, which would definitely have woken him up. He suddenly felt depressed. She had left willingly.

He started, almost falling over when a yelp filled the air, making Icesis jump in the air and dart away. Gripping the little table that sat near the bed Sheik looked over to Link, who had his hand over his chest.

"Oh man, you scared the shit out of me! What were you doing? Trying to scare me awake? Because you definitely succeeded," mumbled Link as Icesis cautiously walked back over to the bed.

"Forgive me…I…I was distracted," said Sheik as he swiftly walked back over to the foot of his bed to grab his bag of cloths. Link moaned, flipping himself over so he was facing Sheik.

"From what? Trying to figure out the most amusing way to wake me up? And standing there staring at me was the best you could come up with?" said Link as Sheik was pulling out his body suit.

"No, I was…just thinking. I hadn't realized I was staring at you," said Sheik, then stopped when Icesis came up and curled around his legs.

"Oh sure, now you go over to Sheik. Why not last night when I wasted like an hour of precious sleep just because you wanted to go outside?" grumbled Link. Sheik turned to give him a confused look, "She kept going up to the window last night and I didn't know if you let her go out at night when you weren't around, and I couldn't ask you because you slept like the dead, don't know how that was possible with all the ruckus we were making, but finally after like the tenth time I just grabbed her and kept her in my bed. I meant to take her back to yours when she fell asleep, but I kinda fell asleep myself," Then Link finally drugged himself out of bed and started to shuffle through his bags trying to find a clean under shirt.

Sheik sighed, looking down at Icesis as she meowed at him. At lest he'd gotten some sleep then. He bent and picked her up, then she immediately started to rub her face against his neck.

"I guess you haven't replaced me then?" muttered Sheik as he scratched her behind the ears. Icesis tilted her head, giving him a weird look as if to say _why in the world would you think that_?

Another groan made Sheik turn and chuckled at the look of misery that was on Link's face.

"That meeting was today huh? Man…I already know about the second world domination thing so why do _I _have to be there?" whined Link as he sat back on his bed and shoved his face in his pillow.

"You know first hand what is going to happen, and perhaps other things that I might have forgotten to tell Zelda, so the most reasonable thing is to have you there in case you are needed," said Sheik as Link grumbled when he sat back up.

"Fine…I guess it wont be so bad, but what will you do with Icesis? Leave her here? You could actually leave her at Telma's Bar if you want, she seems to get along with Louise," said Link as he grabbed his under shirt he had fished out then stripped off his night shirt, but suddenly stopped when he was about to throw his new one over his head.

"Wow, what the hell is on this shirt? And why does it smell? I'm pretty sure I only used one…?" muttered Link as he pulled a random bag in his lap and began fishing around in it. Sheik found he wasn't able to look away this time.

He was definitely well built, something Link obviously gained from training most of his life then battling on a daily basis during his last adventure. His muscles rippled as he threw his bag aside and reached for another one, but Sheik suddenly jumped when a paw swiped at his cheek.

He looked down to see Icesis giving him what he swore looked like a smirk, then meowed, giving him a look of innocence. He rolled his eyes, then set her down on his bed as he gathered his cloths.

He quickly gave her a grateful pat on the head, since he really didn't want to have to explain why he was staring at Link for the second time that morning, then headed out the door.

"I'll meet you at the spring then?" asked Link as he stood up and threw his tights on his bed then began to tug at his pants. Realizing what the Hero was about to do, Sheik quickly turned and after throwing a quick yes over his shoulder he speed walked down the hall and into his old room.

Leaning against his door, Sheik ran his hand down his face. What was he going to do if they had to camp out somewhere if he couldn't handle this? Shaking his head, changed into his body suit then packed up all his things and headed to the spring.

The Sheikah immediately spotted Maelstrom and Epona standing next to each other near the edge of the water, but Epona had her head turn back behind her, her ears perked forward. Looking in that direction, Sheik noticed Link standing near the back of the spring. What was he doing?

Walking through the water, Sheik reached the Hero's side and gave him a curious look when Link turned toward him.

"I thought Eldin would have tried contacting me by now, but it isn't responding at all…I don't see it's body anywhere, so I don't think it was petrified, but it has never just ignored me before," said Link as he looked around as if expecting the Light Spirit to pop out from behind a rock.

"Perhaps it is busy. I imagine it would have felt the pull as its fellow spirits were petrified so we might find it with the other one," said Sheik. Link frowned.

"Its responsible for this province, so it wouldn't abandon its purpose just to go hide with Lanayru…something isn't right," said Link.

"We can inspect it when we return then Link, but we best leave now if you don't want to be late," said Sheik. Link gave Eldin's Fountain one last worried look then turned to Sheik and nodded.

"Alright lets go," said Link then blinked when Sheik called Icesis over, " Oh, you never did answer me when I asked what you were going to do with her, but obviously you're taking her with you…is that a good idea? I doubt she will like being shut in with all those snobby nobles, though I would love to see the excitement,"

"No she wouldn't like that, which is why she isn't going in there. You'll have to find another way to get…_excitement_," said Sheik as he picked Icesis up. Link gave him a confused look.

"What is she going to do then? Wander around the castle? I thought you didn't like her doing that?" asked Link.

"She isn't going to be roaming the castle because she will be with me. I'm certainly not going to stand around bored out of my mind waiting for you, so I'm bringing her along," said Sheik.

"What! Wait, so your not going to the meeting? That's totally not fair! Your just as much a part of this as I am so how come you got out of going?" said Link irritably. Sheik sighed.

"Because my presence would not be…accepted in the court room. Maybe someday you will witness what most of Hyrule really thinks of my race…hopefully not though, but Zelda must abide by the wishes of the nobles if she wants to keep their support," said Sheik as he looked down and stroked Icesis's back, "We really don't have time for this, so we will have to continue this conversation later," He then grasped Link's right wrist and teleported away.

Zelda greeted them as they reappeared in her garden.

"It's about time. Come on Link we have to get going, everyone else is already gathered at the court room," said Zelda, then gestured for him to follow her, "You'll be staying in my room Sheik? Or the spot?"

"Icesis doesn't like it here, so I guess I will stay at our spot," said Sheik as Icesis meowed sharply, as if agreeing with him.

"Alright, I'll come get you when we're finished," said Zelda, then turned and left once Sheik nodded. Link walked beside her, glaring at the floor.

"Link? What's wrong? Not awake yet?" teased Zelda.

"….Why can't Sheik come to the meeting?" asked Link. Zelda turned toward him, shocked by the hostile expression on his face.

"It's complicated," said Zelda. Link turned sharply to face her.

"Then give me the short version," growled Link. Zelda frowned at him as they turned a corner. Maids walked past them, some swinging around to point at the man that some recognized as the same man that came bursting out of the Princess's private chambers the day before.

"Link…things aren't as simple as they are in small towns like Ordon. Things like racism and prejudice views are formed when you have a place that has separate classes. Those of a higher rank tend to look down at those who are of a lower one, and as much as I hate the fact that I have to have my best friend sit out of a meeting just to please these jerks, I have no chose. I need there support if I want this alliance with Calatia to be a success," said Zelda as they approached the court room.

The fury building within Link came to a sudden halt at the slightly familiar name.

_Calatia…? Where have I heard that?_

The wide double doors were opened by a guard on each side. Link then was ushered into the room.

"Come sit by me," whispered Zelda then swiftly walked to the other side of the table with Link trailing after her. Link noticed most of the nobles were looking at him strangely, as if surprised he was here to begin with.

A guard at the end of the table stood behind Zelda's chair, then pushed it in once she sat down. Link took the seat to the right of her. He glanced down the table, but didn't see any familiar faces until he looked straight across from him. Victor sat to Zelda's left, giving Link a nod then returned his attention to his sister.

Zelda took a deep breath, then leaned forward in her seat and stapled her fingers in front of her.

"Alright, continuing with what was discussed yesterday, I have recently discovered something important that my father had setup without my knowledge, but had intended to tell me on my eighteenth birthday…a date that most of you know occurred when the Twilight Incident happened," said Zelda as she addressed the room. Link's eyes widened.

_What? Her birthday was on the day the twilight spread? Dame…what a way to welcome someone into adulthood._

"Also, there is something else that has recently reached my knowledge. That Hyrule's state of peace will not last much longer because there is a new evil that is readying itself to strike us at the heart," said Zelda, but suddenly angry voices filled the room.

"What? I thought the Hero of Twilight had rid Hyrule of her currant danger? You mean there is something else out there as well?" shouted a woman that sat near the double doors, the feathers from her hat swaying with the sudden movement of her head.

"Yes! What could possibly be out there now? When there hasn't been a disturbance from any of the monsters that used to patrol the fields!" shouted a man to the right of the feathered hated lady.

Link turned toward the man, giving him a look of disbelief.

"Have you even been outside? There was twice as many monsters on route to Kakariko as there were during my first journey, and I even came here to request aid because of that!" said Link. The man's face turned beet red, then jabbed two fingers toward Link.

"You have no right speaking like that to me peasant! Your actions do nothing but give you a heroic title! Something that obviously is going to your head!" shouted the man angrily at Link.

Zelda put her hand on Link's right arm, but it went unnoticed as he growled at the man.

"What did you just say? I never have taken advantage of this so called title! But you obviously have abused yours since the moment I met you! Maybe even longer!" shouted Link back at the man.

"Link please! There's no-" but the man ran right over Zelda.

"How dare you speak to me like that! You are lucky to be given the honor of being a part of this meeting you ungrateful peasant!" shouted the man as he glared at Link.

"You want a piece of me! I don't need to be apart of your stupid meetings! I saved your pompous ass along with everyone else here without so much as a plea for aid!" shouted Link.

"_Gentlemen_," said a stern voice. Link looked across from him to see Victor giving him a hard look. The man farther down the table looked ready to keep going, bit was quickly silenced with the violent eyes that glared down at him.

"Everyone here is aware of the Hero's social standing but you all best consider the fact that he did not have to help us. He did not have to sacrifice so much without even asking so much as a rupee in return. Or would you all rather wait to see if this evil is in fact real, and have to beg for help from our fabled Hero because of some petty fight?" asked Victor to everyone at the table. The man glared at Link.

"We have some of the finest soldiers in the world. We won't need _him _when we can handle this possible threat just fine by ourselves," spat the man. Link growled, but Victor held up a hand, nodding to Link.

"Duke Bastian, let me ask you this then. You say we can handle this possible threat? Well, what of the last one? Where were our finest soldiers then? The King of Darkness had almost swallowed Hyrule in Twilight and had she not thrown everything she had at it? Yet still he prevailed? Well, if what the Hero here says is true then it is very possible that this evil is much stronger then even the mighty King of Darkness. Does everyone here really wish to bring it's wrath down on us when we were obviously unable to hand our last threat by ourselves?" said Victor as he looked at everyone in turn. Link was impressed.

_Wow, this guy is smooth. He isn't even challenging anyone out right, but still getting his point across._

"No ones seems to be considering the state of Hyrule herself either. Many areas are still recovering, some of them are owned by many of you. Perhaps I am wrong to assume that everyone here wishes to avoid possible loss of land or even profit? That will be difficult once this possible threat makes itself known," said Victor, then looked back at his sister, giving her a nod.

Zelda smiled gratefully at him, while Link noticed everyone around the table were nodding in agreement.

_Goddess's…this room was about to erupt, but he settled the tension with a few words? Who is this guy?_

"Now, if we could get back to the matter at hand. There isn't much to tell about this possible threat, but something that will most definitely help us in the future is a alliance with our neighboring country, Calatia. Though we have always been rather friendly with them, it would be most beneficial if I were to carry out what my father had planned since I was three," Zelda then took a deep breath, then took a quick glance around the table, "And marry Leonard, the King of Calatia,"

Link had been listening, though wasn't really interested in what Zelda was saying, but couldn't help but hang his mouth open at what she had just said.

"What does the king promise in this union?" Asked the woman with the feathered hat.

_You have got to be kidding me! They are more worried about what they might get from this then the fact that their princess is talking about marrying some stranger!_

"He has promised shared trading, access to the Imperial Library, and the land to the Southern West, along the border, will be given to Hyrule as a wedding gift and I will divide it as I see fit," said Zelda.

"Perhaps a lunch break?" asked Victor suddenly, glancing quickly at Link, who had been staring at the same spot for the last ten minutes.

"Right. We will continue in one hour," said Zelda, then she rose and walked past Link's chair, but waited for him to rise and join her before leaving the room.

"Well, that wasn't as much of a disaster as I thought it would be," said Zelda. Victor chuckled, grinning over at Link.

"Well, our own Hero of Twilight definitely has plenty of spunk to spare. My, its been quite some time since I've seen someone with enough of a backbone to get in Bastian's face like that," said Victor. Link grumbled.

"If he didn't want to get burnt then he shouldn't have touched the fire, how did you do that anyway?" asked Link as they rounded a corner.

"Do what?" asked Victor.

"Well…back in there, when you stopped the fighting. I would have continued in a heart beat, and it looked like that he would have to, but you just got right in there, said a few words, then pouf! Its like the fight never even happened," said Link as he looked at Victor in astonishment. Victor laughed, putting a hand on Link's shoulder.

"My friend, politics can be just as fierce as any battle at times, you just have to know how to play your cards right, and know where to hit. Sometimes giving in to someone isn't always an act of submission. Sometimes you can take hold of what you just gave, then twit it to your own advantage to where you get most of the benefit," said Victor as they walked into the dinning room, "With nobles, its best to just let them think they've won, instead of battling them head on. The fight will go a lot smoother for you that way," He then took a seat at the head table, with Zelda sitting at the highest chair. She patted the seat beside her, so Link took the hint and sat down.

"I think I'll just stick to fighting monsters, politics really isn't my kind of thing," said Link. Victor chuckled, while Zelda gave him a mock look of horror.

"Oh darn! Here I was thinking you would be a great politician! I even had a puffy hat and suit made just for you," said Zelda, then laughed at the pointed look Link gave her.

"Ya, the only thing I'd use those for is target practice," said Link, then a waiter set a tray in front of him and lifted the lid, "Oh Goddess's…_steak_," Then began devouring it.

Zelda rolled her eyes as she cut into her roasted chicken, while Victor took a bite from his salad and watched amusingly as Link ate like a starving man.

Link finished while Zelda and Victor hadn't even gotten half way done, then stretched as far as his injured arm would allow. Victor looked curiously at him.

"Is something wrong with your arm?" asked Victor. Link froze, then brought his arm down.

"Ah, ya. I got injured a few days ago, but it will be healed soon," said Link then took a swig from his goblet.

"That's good. Do you have potions or something else helping you in the mean time?" asked Victor.

"Ya, I have a potion and it works wonders. Its called the Goddess's Tears, you ever heard of it?" asked Link. Victor tilted his head, looking to the side, but then shook his head.

"No, can't say that I have. Well if you have any need of other potions and such just come seek me out. I'll be in Kakariko before long," said Victor. Link looked at him curiously.

"Why?" asked Link.

"Because our forces will be in the command of a buffoon that hasn't seen a second of real battle, so I'm going there to make sure he does it right," said Victor. Zelda turned sharply toward him.

"Daddy put him in charge, and I trust his judgment. Why don't you like him?" asked Zelda. Victor frowned.

"Its not that I don't like him Zelda, Its that I don't think he has what it takes to lead," said Victor. Zelda sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Well, then you can teach him, but don't you dare leave that town understand brother? I'm not losing you again," said Zelda as she gripped her brothers shoulder. Victor placed a hand over hers.

"I never do anything without a reason Zelda, come now. Nothing is going to happen to me, but that doesn't mean I can just sit back and watch when my homeland is scarred because some idiot doesn't know when to quit," said Victor. Zelda nodded, smiling knowingly at Victor then went back to her chicken.

"So where will you be heading next Hero?" asked Victor. Link looked over at him, then grinned.

"Probably get into loads of trouble and save the world while doing it, I just got to get this arm healed then I can whoop some ass," said Link as he held his goblet between his middle and index finger, "And just call me Link. It feels kinda awkward to have the prince call me that, not that I like the title to begin with…"

"Very well Link, in return you may call me Victor. I never cared much for my title myself, but It is all part of being royalty, now I have to ask, but are you going to the Welcoming Festival?" asked Victor. Link gave him a puzzled look.

"What's that?" asked Link. Victor chuckled.

"That's a no then, unless you would like to? It is a festival that we are holding to celebrate the arrival of Leonard, the King of Calatia. Zelda merely has to send word of when it will be," said Victor.

"I doubt it. I like to party but not with thousands of people, I most likely will still be on my new journey anyway," said Link then finished whatever was left in his goblet, "I should get going actually, because I need my potion to last and that's not going to happen if I'm staying here, so do you really need me in this meeting or can I just go?" Zelda sighed, then shook her head.

"No, I just need your honest opinion…do you think I should marry Leonard?" asked Zelda hesitantly. Link blinked, not expecting that.

"Ah, well, if it were me then I would say no, because I couldn't just marry some stranger…but, ah I really cant say for sure without at lest meeting the guy," said Link as he scratched his head. Zelda groaned as she put her face in her hands.

"By then I have to already have an answer, but…I can't just say yes. So, will you come to the Welcoming Festival? You could meet him then?" asked Zelda.

"I can try, but like I said. I might still be on my journey but when do you think it will be at?" asked Link.

"Possibly in two weeks," said Zelda. Link nodded then stood up.

"Alright, I'm gonna get going so see you guys later," said Link.

"Oh wait!" shouted Zelda suddenly, making Link spin around. She stood up, but then looked down at her half eaten chicken.

"I'll take him. To the gardens above the chapel right?" asked Victor, who had long since finished his salad. Zelda sighed, then sat back down.

"How did you know that? Good grief, but yes that's where Link needs to go," said Zelda, then smiled and nodded at Link as they walked away. He waved back, then they entered the hallway.

"Are you sure you don't need anything for that arm? It will be difficult to fight without your sword arm I'm sure," said Victor. Link nodded, but then realized something.

"How did you know this was my sword arm?" asked Link. Victor raised an eye brow.

"As much as I hate them, I do hear rumors quite often, and judging by the fact that you use that arm quite often even though its injured proves that it is your dominant one," said Victor. Link nodded.

_Smart and really observant…but not a snob like the other nobles I've seen. I like him._

"Maybe one of these days we can have that dual. That way I can see for myself if you can wield that saber that's by your side," said Link, pointing to the blade he just mentioned. Victor smirked.

"Yes, maybe we will have that dual. It has been awhile since I've had a challenge," said Victor. Link laughed, shoving Victor slightly with his shoulder, but then was suddenly nervous when he realized this wasn't one of his friends that he can shove playfully around, but to his amazement, Victor just shoved back.

They talked about swords, previous battles, and other random things as they walked from one side of the castle to the other.

"This is where we part ways, the chapel is right up these stairs and to the right of them you will find the entrance to the garden that surrounds it. Oh and don't forget that I will be in Kakariko, when you told me you were a mean poker player I just had to challenge that because I hope you know that I have an unbeatable record," said Victor as he stopped by the foot of the stairs. Link humphed as he climbed the stairs.

"We'll see about this unbeatable record of yours," said Link then snickered when Victor waved a fist at him mockingly, "See ya Victor,"

"Farewell, and good luck on your journey," said Victor, then after a final wave he turned and walked away. Link smiled as he climbed the stairs.

_Wow, the last person I was that comfortable with talking to was Ilia. I wonder if he likes to fish? Or ride horses? _

Link reached the top of the stairs then turned right, walking straight into the garden. It was densely shaded, not many people were here either, but suddenly a streak of white came hurling toward him.

Quickly holding out his hands, Link caught the flying Icesis before she could impale his chest.

"Ha, I'm getting better at knowing when your coming at me," said Link as he held her up to his eye level, "Now, where is Sheiky huh?" Icesis then tilted her head, giving him a look that suddenly made him question his sanity.

_If I didn't know any better I'd say that she just smirked at me but cats can't smirk…can they?_

Icesis then wiggled out of his grasp and darted away. Link shot after her, laughing as he pasted several people that gave him weird looks, then after jumping over a random person to reach the edge of a waterfall, Link jogged around behind it in pursuit of the white streak that disappeared behind it.

Walking cautiously on the wet stone now, Link tried spotting the white cat among the white jagged stone wall, but suddenly caught sight of something else. Walking closer, Link found it was a foot and after passing the rock that hid the rest of this person, he discovered Sheik laying against the rock with his arms wrapped around himself.

Looking up he saw Icesis sitting near Sheik's head, strangely quiet now.

He walked up closer, wondering why Sheik hadn't said anything yet, but found that the Sheikah was fast asleep.

_Bet she planned this, the little trickster._

Looking down at his sleeping form, Link couldn't bring himself to wake the Sheikah. So after standing there awkwardly for a good five minutes, Link decided that it wouldn't hurt to take a short nap.

_Hell, it sure seems like Sheik needs it. Ya, just like twenty minutes or so then I'll wake him._

So he walked over to the Sheikah's side and laid back against the rock, sighing, then closed his eyes.

Somewhere along the hour that passed, Sheik awoke and yawned.

"Meow," said Icesis to his right. He looked up and spotted her peering over the edge of the ledge she was perched on. Sighing, he stretched to try and relieve the muscles that were cramped from sleeping against that rock wall for Goddess knows how long, but found that something restrained his movements.

Looking to his side, he barely stopped a yelp from escaping his mouth when Link's face was not more then two inches from his own. He was obviously asleep, and judging by the position of his feet, he had tried sleeping beside him but ended up slumped against Sheik's left shoulder, with his arms wrapped loosely around the limb.

Sheik wouldn't doubt that his face was probably as red as his eyes now, and once again, he was thankful for his shawl, but that wasn't going to help him if Link woke up when the small part of his face that was still visible just happened to be in his face when woken, so he needed to escape, now.

He considered teleporting, but didn't have the heart to scare Link awake again, not to mention he'd probably get hurt if he didn't wake up in time before his face hit the rock wall. He didn't notice Icesis sneaking around them until she was standing on a ledge that stood above Link. Noticing the movement above Link, Sheik looked sharply up at the cat that was stalking closer to Link.

"Icesis! Don't you even-!" Sheik tried whispering angrily but Icesis still flew off the ledge she was perched on and landed right on Link's upper back, her claws griping the fabric to stay there.

Startled by the claws in his back, Link's eyes snapped open and instinctively shoved himself away from them.

"Meow?" said Icesis as she climbed onto Links shoulder. Link rolled his eyes at her, but then swung his head sharply forward when something buried itself in his sleeve.

Link's eyes widened when he saw that he had shoved Sheik up against the rock wall, with his own body pretty much blanketing him, and the Sheikah now had his face buried in his sleeve.

Link was about to push himself away but then felt hands gripping the fabric of his tunic. He leaned down concerned, but then caught the smell of pine and water. He suddenly felt warm, the feeling of fireflies dancing in his belly grew stronger the longer he stayed like that.

"Sheik?" whispered Link as he tried to get the Sheikah's attention. Sheik tensed, but didn't answer.

"Is something wrong? Sheik look at me," said Link, but the Sheikah hadn't moved a muscle.

Frowning, Link moved his hand under Sheik's chin and moved it upward. He had maybe a second to see Sheik's face before the Sheikah suddenly gasped and teleported away, leaving the Hero staring at where he was last.

_Was that just me…or was he blushing? _

Icesis then shot down the rocky wall and climbed out from behind the waterfall. Link quickly got to his feet and followed. Climbing out from behind the waterfall, Link went straight up to Sheik, who was leaning against a tree with Icesis in his arms.

"I'm sorry," said Sheik the moment he approached him, "I was tired and wasn't thinking straight but I promise it will not happen again,"

"Oh," said Link, not really understanding why he suddenly felt disappointed.

"We should leave now if you still wish to seek the Kokiri, for I don't think It will be wise to search for them in the dark…and I don't think I trust that strange child to lead us there without some kind of catch," said Sheik. He had been staring down at Icesis the entire time, just stroking her back.

"Ok," said Link, cursing his sudden ability to say only one word at a time. Sheik then held out his hand.

Link grasped it, then they were suddenly standing in front of Telma's Bar.

"Why are we here?" asked Link once they started for the door.

"You suggested earlier that I could keep Icesis here and I would rather her be here then wandering around the Lost Woods," said Sheik, then walked up to Telma who was drying a glass.

"Well hello there, what bring you guys in here?" asked Telma. Sheik walked up to the bar and set Icesis down on the counter.

"May I leave Icesis here for a day or two?" asked Sheik. Louise immediately jumped on the counter and approached Icesis, then they playfully swiped at each other.

"Well of coarse you can honey. She is just a sweetheart, and Louse could use the company," said Telma, then turned to Link who had just finished looking to see if any of his other friends were in the bar, "I take it you guys are going on some kind of mission?" Link shrugged.

"Kinda, I'm searching for someone that can heal my arm and possibly cleanse a temple that had already been cleansed like four hundred years ago," said Link, but then suddenly hunched over gasping and fell to his knees and clutched his right arm.

Link was screaming when Sheik ran to his side. The Sheikah was horrified to see dark purple liquid seeping out from under the bandages.

"I'll grab some towels," said Telma hurriedly before running back to the bar.

"Link! Look at me, I need you to pull out the Goddess's Tears alright? Your pouch won't respond to me," said Sheik as he pulled the shaking Hero over to him. Tears were running down his face, but Link was having a hard enough time trying to stop himself from completely breaking down.

Telma came running back with the towels just when Link was finally able to fish out the silver potion from his pouch. Sheik gently had him lay on the floor, then removed his bandages.

After cleaning it, he rubbed a good portion on the wound that had grown twice in size then wrapped it up in fresh bandages. Link sighed, then wiped his face with his arm.

"Thanks Sheik. Man, that was the worst one yet. Though it felt kinda different, well, it was still from the same source…I think, but this time it felt like…I don't know, like instead of the sword, it's the whole hand along with it just twisting and turning and dame that hurt like a bitch," said Link as he inspected the bandage that covered the wound that reached almost to his elbow now, "We need to go before my whole dame arm just falls off," then stood up.

"No, just stay here and rest for a bit, I will see if I can find that man…you used a bottle and a half that time and now we only have half a bottle left, but I'm going to keep it with me alright? It will be much easier to get to this way," said Sheik, then once Link gave him a nod, he headed out the door.

"You need anything else honey? Oh hold on, I think I have some potions in the back," said Telma then pointed a finger at him when he tried to protest, "And you _will _take them understand? Even if the only one that needs them is your Sheikah friend, but its better to be safe then sorry," then she turned and went in the back room.

Link smiled, shaking his head.

_I'm lucky to have such great friends…_

Icesis and Louise came up and demanded attention, so he was playing with both cats when Telma came back with two red potions.

"Here, now watch my place alright? That new girl didn't wash the dishes last night," muttered Telma then she went into the back room.

Sighing Link went back to playing with the cats, and after about forty five minutes, Sheik walked back in the bar cursing.

"He wasn't here…and I went and stood in pretty much every nook and cranny of this town. I hate to admit it but we best just leave Link. We are wasting time," said Sheik. Link sighed, then after a yell of goodbye to Telma, they walked outside.

Standing near the stairway, Link stopped when Sheik didn't follow him.

"You said that the ruins at the Sacred Groove was the…Temple of Time right?" asked Sheik. Link nodded, then watched as Sheik pulled out his scroll from within the folds of his suit. After looking down at it for a moment, Sheik then walked up to Links side.

"Do you see this yellow wording here? It says that this is the warp song for the Temple of Time. Do you want to try it?" asked Sheik.

"You mean try a song that will allow us to bypass the shenanigans that little masochist will surely try to pull on us? Must you even ask?" asked Link, then chuckled when Sheik rolled his eyes.

"Then hold on to my shoulder. I will play it on my flute," said Sheik then began to reach into the folds of his suit to pull out his flute.

"Alright, I can't stand this anymore. How in the name of Din are you able to stuff so much crap in that suit and still look like your carrying nothing at all?" asked Link as he stared at the place Sheik pulled his flute from. The Sheikah snickered.

"You have your pouch and I have my suit. Different appearance, same purpose. Except of coarse mine also helps in stealth, and keeps sand away from my skin, and helps me blend better into the shadows, so never mind. Different appearances but mine has more purposes," said Sheik, then laughed as Link shot him a glare.

"Whatever, lets just get this over with," said Link as he walked up and placed a hand Sheik's shoulder. The Sheikah pulled the scroll up so he could look at the song then his eyes widen when he saw the name of it.

"What?" asked Link when he saw the look of surprise on the Sheikah's face.

"The name of the song…is the Prelude of Light," said Sheik then looked up to see a similar look of surprise on Link's face.

"You mean the one that I played to summon Valor?" asked Link. Sheik nodded, "But it didn't take me to the Temple of Time, it took me to the spirit realm,"

"Perhaps it works in different ways, shall we try it anyway?" asked Sheik. Link shrugged.

"Might as well," said Link. Nodding, Sheik turned away from Link and after looking again at the scroll to try and memorize the song he played it flawlessly just as he did before.

Link suddenly felt a pull that was similar to teleporting but it was wild and made him feel like he was being pulled through a lake of invisible water instead of through a narrow passageway.

The next thing they saw was the ruins of the Temple of Time standing before them.

"Oh my Goddess…it worked! That was awesome! Lets do it again!" exclaimed Link. Sheik couldn't help but laugh as he pictured a child like Link saying the same thing, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, but we can't go back because I doubt I can teleport that far, but I must agree that this song is, as you said, _awesome_, because I didn't waste an ounce of my own energy," said Sheik as he crossed his arms, "But enough play time, the sun is already high in the sky and I don't want to be out here at night so lets find that strange child,"

"Oh, you mean the Skull Kid? Well…the only way I know how to summon him is through that stone thing near the entrance, but hey maybe there's another way," said Link. Sheik rolled his eyes, then jumped when Link started to shouted to no one in particular.

"Hey! You little rascal where are you! Get your ass out here I don't have all day!" shouted Link as he circled the area just shouting random things. Sheik sighed, then after standing there for a good ten minutes Link just sagged against a wall in front of Sheik.

"I give up, man…my throat is dry," grumbled Link. Sheik raised an eye brow.

"That tends to happen when your shouting for ten minutes straight," said Sheik then chuckled when Link just grumbled some more. The Sheikah tensed suddenly when a strange vibrating sound came from seemingly no where, then suddenly the Skull Kid just pops out of thin air and pounces on Link.

"Hey! You cheated you buttmuncher! Your supposed to go from the front!" shouted the Skull Kid as he climbed all over Link when the Hero was in turn trying to throttle him.

"I don't have time for your childish games! I'm busy with trying to save the world now take me to the Kokiri!" shouted Link when he finally got a hold of the rascal. The Skull Kids glowing eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Why do you want to see them?" asked the Skull Kid, making that strange vibrating sound again, which Sheik guessed must have been his version of a growl.

"Well…for several reason but he main one is to…fix something and possibly cleanse a temple that has already been cleansed before," said Link. The Skull Kid stared at him for a moment, then just shrugged.

"Ok," said the Skull Kid. Link gawked at the Skull Kid.

"What, that's it? No trickery? No wild goose chase? Just _ok_?" said Link in amazement. The Skull Kid rolled his eyes.

"I'm not always like that you know. I can be simple, but…to bad this isn't one of those times!" shouted the Skull Kid then disappeared in a flutter of leaves. Link cursed as he stood up.

"Fucking little terd…always messing with me. Well come on Sheik we got to kick some ass if we want him to listen," said Link, but Sheik stared glaring at him.

"I am not helping you hurt a child," said Sheik firmly.

"Hey, didn't you listen before? That kid is probably older then both of us combined, and he can take a serious beating happily, trust me," said Link. Sheik narrowed his eyes, refusing to move from his spot.

"Hey! Come on you scaredy cats! Catch me if you can!" shouted the Skull Kids voice form high above them. Link bent his head and cursed when he realized that nothing but his bow would reach that high, to bad he couldn't use it.

"Will you not see reason child? We are running low on time here and we can't afford to waste time playing games," said Sheik.

"Oh your so boring! You need to teach your girlfriend how to have fun Hero!" shouted the Skull Kid. Link was torn between embarrassment from the statement and laughter from the look of utter surprise that clearly shone from Sheik's eyes at being called a girl…again.

"You should watch what you say to people, for I am not a girl," growled Sheik.

"_Fine_, then you need to teach your _boyfriend _how to have fun Hero! Is that better mr. prissy?" shouted the Skull Kid. Sheik growled again, his patience rapidity disappearing.

"Hey stop being such a little brat! We aren't dating! And Sheik isn't a girl so get your ass down here and take us where we need to go before I pummel you!" shouted Link as he waved a fist at him.

"Why don't you and girly man here come and make me!" shouted the Skull Kid. Link stomped the ground and growled.

"That's _it_! Listen Sheik we can do this if we team together ok?" asked Link but turned around and saw that Sheik wasn't there, then swung his head back when a loud thud hit the floor. Link snickered as he walked closer to where Sheik was crouched over the wide eyed Skull Kid, three daggers posed in the Sheikah's hand.

"Call me girly man again, I dare you," hissed the Sheikah. The Skull Kid looked like he would love nothing more then to sink into the ground.

"Ok! I'm sorry! Jeeze you didn't have to do that you meanie," mumbled the Skull Kid.

"Then you should watch what you say to people," Hissed Sheik, then stood up. The Skull Kid grumbled, but stood as well.

"Fine I'll take you two to the Kokiri," said the Skull Kid, then suddenly grinned, "Hope you brought plenty of water and snacks! Its going to be a long four hours!" Then he bounded of toward the right of the area where the master sword laid.

"Four hours? We have to walk for _four hours_? Aww man…"whined Link as he dragged his feet and followed the Skull Kid.

Sheik sighed, well at lest they achieved their goal…to bad he had to deal with a whiney Hero for the next _four __hours. _


	18. Chapter 18

The wind blew harshly around the area, the crackling sound of dark magic mixing with it.

"Will you _stop _that!" yelled the hooded man as he swung from his seated position toward a short completely purple dressed figure, "This is the fifth cup of tea your wretched wind magic had spilt all over me!" Then slammed his cup on the ground. Red eyes narrowed at him from a few yards away.

"Well if you hadn't decided to sit where I'm trying to practice after my long absence then that wouldn't have happened would it?" said the purple clothed man, then turned and resumed his practicing. The hooded man cursed, jabbing a finger at his back.

"You best remember who's in charge here. I could have left you trapped for another six hundred years! And I was sitting here before you started practicing! So go somewhere that's away from me if your going to continue that!" growled the hooded man. The purple clothed man rolled his red eyes as he turned back to him.

"No appreciation for everything I do. And I have to practice, since, as you said, I've been trapped for six hundred years, so I need to get back to my god like strength that has gotten rusty over this long period of time. That is the only reason those little _cretins _have gotten past me," grumbled the purple clothed man.

"Oh. So it wasn't the cat and spirit wolf that made you freak out and crawl away like a frightened child? Good Lord, lets just get going. We have to make it to the Forest Temple before the Hero of Twilight does," said the hooded man, then stood and strode away. The purple clothed man soon stormed after him, his left eye twitching, as if he wanted nothing more then to swallow the hooded man in front of him with his dark magic.

"Why can't you just warp us there?" grumbled the purple clothed man. The hooded man sighed, annoyed.

"Because I've never been there. I cant just warp to some random location when I don't even know what it looks like. I might warp us into a wall, or through a tree," said the hooded man. The purple clothed man just grumbled some more, glaring at the hooded mans back but then suddenly froze mid step.

"What is it now?" asked the hooded man when he didn't hear the others footsteps, but was shushed. Narrowing his eyes, the hooded man was about to tell him off for his disrespect until he noticed that the other was looking around as if looking for something, "What's wrong?"

The purple clothed man walked to the right then grinned, "Wow! What a nice atmosphere of malicious spiritual activity. This place is swarming with angry sprits, just what I need. I wonder what caused this though? There never is an area that just has a large population of negative energy like this," said the purple clothed man as he brought his arms up and then his whole body pulsed as a dark aura sprang forward and begun to drain the energy of the area.

"Hmm…they all seem to point there anger at a single source…I'll have to look into that later," said the purple clothed man as he finished, then turned to there right, "We need to go that way," Then strode forward.

The hooded man cursed, quickening his pace to catch up with him, "How do you know this?"

"Because its in there memories. What…!" exclaimed the purple clothed man as he suddenly stopped mid step again, making the hooded man jump and raise his hand to burn an unseen attacker, "There's even more angry spirits here! Whatever did this to them has something to do with the Forest Temple I think…none of them are very happy that I'm heading that way. To bad for them," then begun draining the area again.

The hooded man looked ready to throttle his companion, but just took a deep breath, then strode in the direction that they were originally going in. He eventually climbed up a hill, then stood at the top and grinned.

"Finally," said the hooded man as he gazed at the temple in the distance, almost hidden by the tall trees that grew around it.

"We must almost be there. These spirits were even more malicious then the last group. Ah, here we are! About time, I was getting sick of the sight of green everywhere," said the purple clothed man as he approached his companion.

"Now that I've seen it, I can warp here. I'm going home to gather a few things, but you get over there and get that medallion before the Hero of Twilight does understand? Oh, and you'll have to do this from a distance, for the power of the temple, no matter _how _much you try twisting it, will not allow you to enter it. It will be like that for all the temples actually," said the hooded man, then diagrams appeared below him, surrounding him in golden light and warped away. The purple clothed man glared at where he was last, then turned and stormed toward the Forest Temple.

"Bastard still hasn't told me what he wants with these medallions. Why not just kill the Hero and be done with it? Whatever, its his problem if the Hero accidentally ends up dieing when my grand master plan comes into fruition!" said the purple clothed man gleefully, before jumping when something landed on his head.

He reached up and swiped whatever it was off his head, then his eyes widened when he saw that it was a fairy.

Then his red eyes narrowed when he noticed its light dimming until it finally faded away. He jumped again when multiple fairies suddenly dropped not more then a few feet away from him. Looking above him, he saw other fairies stumbling through the air until they joined their kin on the ground.

Looking back at the temple, he stressed his power, but didn't sense any invading force within it. Frowning, he tossed the dead fairy over his shoulder then strode forward, wondering what in the world was doing this, because it obviously wasn't him.

* * *

Link yawned as the sun began to set.

"Can't we stop and rest for a bit? My feet are killing me," grumbled the Hero. Sheik chuckled when Link tripped on a nonexistent rock, "Din dame it! I can't even walk without almost killing myself!"

"Sure, if you want to get chased by Poes and monsters," said the skipping Skull Kid ahead of them, "They like coming out at night," Link cursed, glaring at the back of the Skull Kids head.

"Are we almost there? It has been at lest past three hours," said Sheik as he walked behind Link, covering his mouth to stop the laugh that threatened to escape when Link tripped on another nonexistent rock.

"Almost! Can't you see the spirits are so much more lively here _truth seer_?" asked the Skull Kid as he skipped to the left. Sheik blinked, then looked around, but didn't see any spirits. Frowning, Sheik turned back to glance at the hunched Hero that was still grumbling then snapped his head back when he saw movement.

Sheik's eyes widened when he saw what looked like a women come dancing up to him, her long hair swirling around her. She was just as hollow as the other spirits that suddenly came out in the open, some dancing right up to the oblivious hunching Hero.

He didn't think they meant any harm, but quickened his pace to stay right behind Link as he stared when his green cap just flew off his head then floated away. He cursed and chased after it. Sheik laughed as Link was chasing the spirit of a small boy in circles around him, while the boy kept Link's cap just out of his reach.

Sheik looked up when he heard giggling. The Skull Kid was perched on a large rock, allowing him to be eye level with Sheik, then pointed to his right.

"The Kokiri's Village is right past those trees, oh and you'd best not walk back, because I'm sure we don't want our favorite Hero to turn into a monster!" exclaimed the Skull Kid then disappeared in a flutter of leaves. Sheik titled his head to the side, wondering why Link would turn into a monster if they walked through this forest, but just shook his head and turned toward Link, who was now trying to climb up a tree in pursuit of his seemingly floating hat.

Sheik smirked, then teleported right on the branch above where Link was climbing. He quickly snatched the cap out of the boys hands, shaking his head when the boy gave him a sad look.

"Maybe later…" whispered Sheik, smiling softly when the boy clapped his hands together rapidly, through it made no sound, then waved and hovered to the tree adjacent to them.

Chuckling, Sheik then leapt out of the tree, landing gracefully on the ground. He turned just in time to see the look of astonishment that was on Link's face before he dropped from the trunk he was epically failing to climb.

"What! How did you get it? Why was it floating away from me to begin with!" shouted the frustrated Hero as he stomped over to Sheik, "I bet it was that pesky Skull Kid, still messing with me! Can't he give me a moments peace! Why not just a hand shake? Or maybe a hug? That would be better then having to chase him to Goddess's know where and waste all that energy that could have been used for something else! But of coarse not! He's just got to squeeze every ounce of misery out of me before disappearing like the punk he is!" Link then stopped his rant when he finally noticed Sheik was shaking from the effort to not just bust out laughing.

"What! What is so funny!" shouted Link. Sheik tried to respond, but just ended up laughing again when he noticed several child spirits all behind Link, making silly faces at the Hero, then Link jumped when one of them suddenly untied the strings of his white under shirt, then gaped when the child started to play with them.

"As you can see Link…this isn't the Skull Kid. These are forest spirits I'm guessing, and they seem rather fond of you," said Sheik once he was able to speak again. Link just continued to gape as the spirit children now were busy ruffling his hair while also moving his clothing around.

"Ah huh…" muttered Link, then shook himself and darted over to Sheik's side, "I don't like this forest. Everything in it just loves to mess with me," Sheik rolled his eyes, then pointed to their right.

"The Skull Kid said the village of the forest children would be past though trees," said Sheik. Then quickly waved his hand at the spirit children just were hovering over the Hero, "Not now," The children, gave him a sad look, but a peculiar one among them, the one Sheik recognized as the one that had taken Link's hat, leaned over the rest and said something them. They all immediately smiled, then waved before floating away.

Link glared at him, "What! You could see them! Why didn't you say something when I was chasing my hat all over the place!" Sheik raised an eye brow.

"Because they weren't doing you any harm. And I saw no reason why I should yell at a child when he merely wished to play," said Sheik then handed Link back his cap, then turned and walked toward the village, "Now come, we have but a few minutes before night," Link just threw his hands in the air before finally stuffing his cap on his head and following him.

They walked pasted the trees that the Skull Kid has mentioned but then saw three huge wooded logs that were hollowed out to make pathways.

"Of coarse its not right where he says it is. Got to have some surprises thrown in there," grumbled Link. Sheik chuckled, then pointed to the one in front of them.

"We need to go through that one," said Sheik, then Link raised an eye brow at him after he tried peering through the pitch blackness that hid everything from view on the other side of the huge logs.

"What? Shouldn't we make sure that's the right way? I mean, It wouldn't be very smart to just walk blindly into an area when…it involves….oh, eyes of truth. I forgot," said Link once he noticed the dull look the Sheikah was giving him, "lead the way then," Sheik rolled his eyes, then walked through the log, his footsteps echoing as he went.

Sheik reach the other side, then waited for Link to cautiously step out of the opening of the huge log.

"That was kinda creepy, but cool at the same time," said Link as he approached the Sheikah. Link then looked past him, and walked forward until he stood right in front of a fence. Sheik walked up beside him, wondering why he was standing there.

"This place looks…familiar…but I've never went any father then the forest surrounding Ordon…"muttered Link, then shook his head, "I don't know what's going on, but lets just get going. Because I'm ready to sleep right here if I have to," Then Link went down the hill, making a sharp right before walked behind a hut then emerging from the other side and jumping off the ledge beside the hut.

Walking out into the open Sheik turned to his right and saw a red headed boy that was struggling to lift a rock, but his head flew up to gape at them once the fairy hovering near his head suddenly shouted in a high pitched voice.

"Ah…is there someone called Saria here?" asked Link. The kid just continued to gape at them until the fairy bumped into his head, shaking him out of his daze.

"Um…ya, she's here, but who are you? Adults aren't supposed to come here," said the child hesitantly.

"I am Sheik, and this is Link. We mean you no harm child, we merely wish a see Saria to resolve an important matter, will you take us to her?" asked Sheik. The child spun in Link's direction, his eyes wide and was about to reply when someone suddenly stomped out of the hut they were standing beside.

"Yapping isn't going to help move that rock-!" started another child, but he stopped as he swung in their direction, his blue eyes widening before they were hidden by his orange hair as it flew over his face. Link narrowed his eyes, not really understanding why this kid suddenly made him defensive.

_Why do I feel uneasy around his kid?_

"What are you guys doing here! No adults allowed! And why are _you _wearing Kokiri clothing?" shouted the other kid as he pointed to Link, "You cant fool me! Trying to sneak in here in and cause trouble! Well that's not happening so just turn around and go back!" Sheik stepped forward but Link growled at the kid.

"We don't want to cause trouble! We just need to see Saria!" shouted Link as he stepped closer to the kid. The kid stomped the ground, pointing a finger at him, " Hey! I'm the boss here! So what I say goes! And your not getting anywhere near Saria! I bet your some kind of weirdo! Walking in here with those fake Kokiri cloths, well I'm to smart for you weirdo! Just get out!" shouted the kid. Link suddenly felt strangely withdrawn, not wanting to fight with the kid anymore. So he strode past the glaring child, making him gape at Link's retreating back. Sheik was startled at Link's sudden change in attitude, but quickly followed, about to tell the Hero about how rude he was being.

The orange haired kid then snapped out of his daze and ran after Link.

"Hey! I said get out you jerk or your going to regret it!" shouted the kid, but skidded to a stop in front of another hut with a pink swirl around it when Link stopped and whirled on him.

"I don't have the patience to deal with you, so _shut up _Mido!" yelled Link, but then gaped at the kid, while Sheik gave the Hero a look of surprise.

_What…? I don't even know this kid!_

Mido had the same expression on his face, perfectly aware that he never said his name. Then the red haired kid that had been trialing behind him suddenly grinned at Link.

"I knew it! It is you Link!" shouted the red haired kid as he bounced up to Link and wrapped his arms around his middle, "Its been forever since you visited! I didn't even recognize you! Why are your cloths different though? Like what's that silver thing under it?" asked the kid, but Link was to overwhelmed to understand a word he was saying.

Sheik turned to see several over kids approach them.

"Wha…how…how do you guys know me?" Link finally was able to say to the crowd of children that surrounded him. They all laughed as if he just made a joke, while Sheik just stood off to the side, unsure of what to do.

"What's going on here?" asked someone from behind Link. He turned to look at this new person, and suddenly felt calm when he caught sight of a pair of blue eyes framed with green hair.

"Link? Is that you?" asked the green haired girl, then giggled, "It's been ages since you visited!" She then walked up to where Link was struggling to stand up straight from the children that clung to his body.

"Come on guys! Give him some air, he's probably tired," said the green haired girl as she giggled again. Everyone then detached themselves from him, and he approached the green haired girl, smiling gratefully.

"Thanks, but I think you guys have me confused with someone else…" said Link as he stood in front of her. She looked confused for a moment, then stepped closer, looking closely at his face.

"Oh…your hair is darker. Your younger too, well, then you can't be him. Your like him though…what did you need?" asked the green haired girl.

"We are looking for…you I think. Are you Saria?" asked Link as he gestured to Sheik. Saria blinked, then tilted her head as she smiled at him.

"Yep, that's me. You have some of his memories then? Well, what did you need me for?" asked Saria.

"Well, I was attacked a few days ago and barely made it out alive because of Sheik here and now I have a wound that won't heal naturally but I was told that you could help me with that," said Link as he lifted his injured right arm to show her. She grasped his hand and led him inside her house, gesturing for Sheik to follow as she went.

The Sheikah walked inside of her house just as Link took a seat and Saria was unwrapping his bandages. He walked to Link's side and sat facing the door.

"Oh dear…" muttered Saria as she removed the bandages to reveal the wound, "This has dark magic coursing through it…I recognize it too…but I can't remember who it is, but it really doesn't matter because I can't create the antidote for this without the full use of my power," said Saria.

"What do you mean?" asked Link.

"Well, the core of my power is housed in the Forest Temple, but it recently has been overrun with monsters, and I can't go inside anymore…I'm sorry" said Saria sadly. Link gripped her hand that was gently laid on his right arm.

"It's ok, I'll just have to improvise when I'm doing this tomorrow," said Link, making Saira tilt her head confused, though Sheik's eyes widened when he realized what the Hero must be referring to.

"Link! You can't mean that your going to try and take on the temple without your sword arm? Are you sane? What are you going to do if your current weapons are not strong enough to protect you when you need them most!" exclaimed Sheik. Link sighed, looking down at his wound for a moment, then looked back up Saria.

"So without the temple cleansed you can't help me?" asked Link. Saria nodded, looking between the two adults as they stared at each other.

"Sheik…I can't avoid this. Unless you have an alternate way that can heal my arm before entering that temple, then cleansing it as I am now is the only option," said Link as Saria told her fairy that had been hovering near her head to get someone to get them fresh bandages.

"…The Goddess's Tears are only temporary and it can't even stop it from spreading. Zelda doesn't have that kind of power, and other potions only make it worse," muttered Sheik, then just sighed, "I see no other option then…but what if you get injured? Will drinking red potion upset your wound?" asked Sheik. Link shrugged.

"Don't know, but I got two red potions that Telma gave me. You should hold them actually, now that I think about it," said Link, then pulled out to the two bottled and handed them to Sheik. The Sheikah took them and then hid them in the folds of his suit, "I still can't believe that thing can make you look so slender when you must being carrying like a million things, with daggers being most of it,"

"I only have a set of six daggers actually," said Sheik, then smirked when Link gaped at him in disbelief.

"What! No way! You've thrown way more then six daggers since I met you and not once did I ever see you go back for them!" exclaimed the Hero.

"That's because I don't need to go back for them Link, because I can summon them all back to their sheath's within seconds," said Sheik, laughing when Link just threw his hands in the air.

"Whatever, I give up on trying to understand you. That just makes my head hurt," said Link, then turned to Saria who was smirking as she watched them, "What?"

"Oh, nothing…I'll just get you guys something to eat ok? Then you both can sleep here for tonight," said Saria then handed Sheik the new bandages that she just received then walked outside.

Link sighed, then turned toward Sheik just when he pulled out his scroll.

"I haven't read this all he way through yet. I think I will do that before I go to sleep, because the information may help us tomorrow, but first this needs to be covered," said Sheik as he began to wrap his wound, then began to read the scroll once he was done.

Link sighed, then laid down on his back next to Sheik and closed eyes, just listening to the occasional sound of moving paper when the Sheikah lengthened the scroll.

Sheik was however, finding it very hard to concentrate when the Hero was pretty much laying in the curve of his outer thigh. He closed his eyes for a moment, then remembered something. Ker had offered him the chance to gain the skills to merge with the shadows, but he didn't know if he couldn't trust him or not. Surely the spirit of violent death didn't just go around helping people? That's like the spirit of peace going around starting war.

Then he recalled what Ker had said to him. He didn't normally help others, but he doesn't want this evil to prevail any more then they did, so he was offering help only out of necessity then? Sheik glanced down at the snoozing Hero, frowning. He couldn't risk putting him in danger…but, he couldn't bare the thought of having them being cornered by an enemy that was ready to kill Link and he could do nothing to stop it.

Sighing, Sheik decided to meet Ker one more time to try and see if the shadow panther was sincere in his offer before he actually revealed it Link. His breath caught in his throat when Link suddenly sighed in his sleep then turned his face and snuggled it into his leg.

Taking a deep breath, the Sheikah cursed silently to himself. This was ridiculous, he was taught to not be so emotional! But he couldn't help it! The Hero was able to bring out a whole new side of him that he didn't even know about to begin with!

Sheik continued to stare at his scroll but not really reading anything…until something caught his eye. That definitely didn't belong there…or was his ancestor just messing with him?

"Here we go! These are my favorite! I'm sure you guys will like it," exclaimed Saria as she stepped back into her house, then laughed when she noticed Sheik had pretty much done a cat leapt to the ceiling while Link was giving her a sleepy look of confusion.

"What happened?" muttered the sleepy Hero. Saria set the tray in front of him, making his eyes widen, "Food!" Then dug in, not really caring what it was.

"Good Nayru…" muttered Sheik as he tried to compose himself, "Alright, I think I will eat and go to bed, before anything else happens…" He then approached the tray and picked up something that was brown and looked familiar…

Sheik dropped it suddenly when he realized that it was a _cricket_. What in the world was covering it then?

"Hmmm…kinda crunchy, but I like it. What is it anyway?" asked Link then stuffed another one in his mouth. Saria giggled as she watched Link pull off a long piece then threw it in the air and catch it in his mouth.

"You even eat like him! This was his favorite too, but he did always say that I make the best berry jam," said Saria, then took a piece herself and broke it in half to show him, "See? There are hundreds of these suckers that come around Woody during the night, so we all catch them and cover them in chocolate! Isn't it good?" She giggled again when Link looked down at his half eaten cricket in amazement.

"Wow…I never knew bugs would actually taste good, though I'm sure the chocolate is helping that. Hey Sheik try one, they aren't not as bad as you think," said Link as he offered one to Sheik. The Sheikah gave the cricket a sour look, "Oh come on, you need your strength right? So you better eat up," laughing when Sheik gave him a glare then snatched the chocolate covered bug from his hand.

The Sheikah sniffed it, then broke it in half and looked at it suspiciously.

"Its not going to jump up and attack you Sheik. Just eat it, it's good I promise you," said Link as he popped another one in his mouth. Frowning, the Sheikah finally took a hesitant bite, chewing slowly.

"I suppose it isn't that bad…"muttered Sheik as he swallowed the chocolate covered bug. The chocolate seemed to drown any kind of after taste the bug might have left behind. He took another one, eating it much quicker this time.

"There, was that so hard? Though I would like something to drink though…hopefully you guys have something other then water?" asked Link. Saira rolled her eyes, then stood up.

"Well of coarse silly. Don't you think we'd get sick of water if we drank it for the rest of eternity?" asked Saria, then laughed as Link gave her a pointed look, "I'll go see what I can find," she then left out the door way.

"I wonder who Woody is?" asked Link as he popped another chocolate covered cricket in his mouth.

"I suppose it could be just another one of those children," said Sheik as he munched on a cricket. Link gave him weird look.

"Why would crickets be around one of these kids at night?" asked Link.

"I don't know Link, why do they live to be perhaps a thousand years old and still live longer?" asked Sheik, then pulled out his scroll and gestured Link to come closer.

Curious, Link crawled to Sheik's side, "What is it?"

Sheik pointed down at a particular spot on his scroll, "Read that and tell me I'm not crazy," Link raised an eye brow.

"Come now Sheik, everyone is crazy, its just to what degree, but it seems you can be rather forgetful, because I can't read Sheikah," said Link, chuckling. Sheik gave him a dull look.

"This part isn't written in Sheikah, it's written in Hyrulian…by a child I think," muttered Sheik. Link's eyes widened, then he looked down at where Sheik was pointing to. The messy writing was squeezed on the top of the most perfect hand writing Link had ever seen.

"The Sheikah writing here, that's been crossed off, said that this song was called the Heart of Shadows…but my other self doesn't seem like the kind to do something like this," said Sheik. Link suddenly collapsed on the floor laughing.

"Then it really is there then," said Sheik as he rolled his eyes at the laughing Hero.

"Oh my Goddess! That's the most awesome thing that's happened in the last few days! I've gotta tell the older Sheik how much that just made my day," said Link, then finally sat up to look in Sheik's glaring face, "Oh come on, you can't say that wasn't the best surprise after reading all that boring documentary stuff then that comes along? Its like he was trying to keep you interested,"

"We don't work like that Hero! We don't create a powerful melody and then name it the _Epic Song of Epicness_! Someone must have gotten a hold of this scroll without my other self knowing. Because it hasn't left my person since I got it," said Sheik. Link was about to reply bit Saria walked in with two cups.

"All I could find was apple juice…"said Saria. They both took a cup but Link noticed the worried expression that was on her face.

"What's wrong Saria?" asked Link. Saria looked up at him, then gave him a weak smile.

"Its…ah, it's a feeling I've been having. I just recently conferred this with Woody and he's been checking out the forest and he just told me to meet him now…I'm just worried about what he might have found," said Saria.

"Do you want me to go with you?" asked Link. Saria clasped her hands in front of her, giving him a sheepish look.

"You wouldn't mind…? I mean you must be tired," said Saria, but Link shook his head.

"Hey, I can handle it. Besides I doubt I can sleep now that I know that something could be wrong with this place," said Link, then downed his juice and turned to Sheik, "You want to come?"

"Why would I sit here by myself? Not only would that be against my duty to protect you, but what would I do if I did stay? Twiddle my thumbs?" asked the Sheikah as he downed his own juice and they both rose to join Saria near the doorway, leaving thier cups behind.

"You should try that. Its pretty fun actually if you pretend that your thumbs are battling each other," said Link, then darted out the doorway laughing when Sheik gave him a look of disbelief.

"That's not happening. I will never be that desperate to find something to do," said Sheik as they were lead to the right.

"You don't have to wait when your bored, you can do it just to mess with people, I mean I once won like four hundred rupees because some guy thought I was a retard when I just started doing that during a poker game in Telma's Bar," said Link, laughing at the look of surprise all over the Sheikah's face. They then jumped between a few platforms until they reached another pathway through the wall.

"You cannot be serious," said Sheik.

"I'm dead serious, but its not like I like hustling people, I just really needed the rupees so I could get that magic armor before anyone else did," said Link, then stopped when they stopped a clearing, "Wow that's a big tree…"

"That's awfully rude Link. Just because you are reborn it doesn't mean you can just drop your manners! Now, I take it that you wished for him to accompany you for support Saria?" asked the huge tree. Link gaped at the tree, while Sheik looked curiously at it.

"Ya…I wanted him here and Sheik came to, is that alright Woody?" asked Saria as she took a seat in front of Woody. Link blinked.

_So this is Woody…_

"That is fine. They should know about this because I'm sure it will affect them before long," said Woody, then let out a sigh that rattled his branches, making leaves fall to the ground, "Saria, when we are finished, I want you to tell everyone that they are not to leave the village. Especially the fairies,"

"W-why?" asked Saria as Link took a seat beside her while Sheik remained standing.

"It seems the world's frail state of balance is starting to shift. You were the first to feel it because your power is nature itself Saria, but I'm afraid it will not stop the chaos that will eventually follow this false sense of security," said Woody. Sheik's eyes hardened, though Link looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?" asked Link. Saria leaned against his side, so he put a comforting arm around her.

"The very flow of life is unstable, and the forest is suffering because of that…I suppose you didn't see any fairies on the way here?" asked Woody.

"Ah, no there weren't any that approached us I think," said Link, then looked up toward Sheik for conformation. He nodded, not remembering any fairies during there four hour hike to this village.

"That…! They wouldn't be like that! Is something wrong with them?" asked Saria as her own fairy nestled herself in her hair.

"It seems the weak flow of life is starting to affect them, for they are one of the closest things to nature, but they are small, and rely purely on magic to survive, so they fall easily when they don't have enough magic to sustain them," said Woody sadly. Saria turned her face and buried it in Link's shirt.

"So the fairies are dieing…? What could be strong enough to do this?" asked Link. Sheik crouched beside them, trying to offer comfort for the crying girl.

"Nothing is cursing them…I sense no invading source at all," said Woody.

"What? Then what in the world is doing this?" exclaimed Link. Woody sighed again.

"I cannot fathom any reason why this would happen naturally…it is simply not possible, so I can only think of one thing that can affect the very flow of life like this…I think its source is fading," said Woody.

"Its source? The source of life? But that's…the goddess's is it not?" asked Sheik.

"I'm afraid so…" said Woody. Link couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Wait…but the Goddess that created life was Farore...so your saying that she's…_dieing_?" asked Link in disbelief.


	19. Chapter 19

Hey guys, sorry for the long delay but life sorta caught up with me but I tried making up for it with a longer chapter! And we hit our first temple to so enjoy!

* * *

Link sat stunned at what he just realized.

"But…but she's a Goddess! How can something just _kill _a Goddess! That's insane!" exclaimed Link. Sheik was connecting the dots though.

"The source of this shadow…That's what killing Goddess Farore isn't it? That's why it wish's to be rid of Link. Because his line houses a portion of her power that is most likely protecting her," said Sheik. Link looked up at him in astonishment.

"That is what I was thinking. For Link's entire line does house the Triforce's piece of Courage, the one thing that Farore left behind once she ascended to the heavens with her sisters but the strange thing is…I don't sense any other imbalance…only the flow of life," said Woody.

"Does that even _matter_? A screwed up life cycle seems devastating enough to me," said Link as he pretty much held Saria in his lap now.

"It does matter, because if the flow of life is the only thing that is dysfunctional, then that means Farore is the only Goddess being attacked, and if you remember, there are two other Goddess's Link. Though I doubt that they would help an enemy oppose their own sister when it obviously would hurt them in return, but then again…perhaps the Goddess's are simply not willing to deal with our constant mistakes anymore," said Sheik.

"Huh?" asked Link.

"I dearly hope your wrong, but you have a valid point…" muttered Woody.

"I thought that maybe the Goddess's might grow tired of us ruining the world they spent so much time and effort making for us. Despite our best efforts, war has spread numerous times, as have betrayal, greed, and crime. Perhaps…nothing is happening to Goddess Farore. Maybe the Goddess's have decided as one that the world needs to start over and they are merely doing this one step at a time, hence why the life cycle is the only thing that is imbalanced at the moment," said Sheik harshly. Saria looked at him with wide eyes.

"But why? Aren't we all their children? How can they just…destroy the world when we still live in it? We don't even get a warning?" asked Saria quietly.

"We've had plenty of warnings, but we don't learn from our mistakes. We just keep taking without giving in return," said Sheik.

"I don't understand…if the Goddess's wish to…destroy the world or whatever, then why send that weird short guy after me? Why not just take my piece of courage and be done with it?" asked Link.

"I don't know. Maybe they can't oppose those who have a link to their power head on, so they must use alternate ways to take back what they have given you. What ever the case, you will be in danger no matter the cause…" Sheik suddenly stopped, his eyes widening.

"What?" asked Link.

"Goddess Nayru was the one that told me of my supposed destiny…though I see no reason why she would send you help if she just planned to help destroy you later…what if the heavens are having just as much _peace _as we are? What would happen if the Goddess's turn on each other?" asked Sheik. Link sighed, running a hand through Saria's hair to calm her.

_Wow…if we mortals can barely maintain peace, then what kind of chaos is happening up there? _

"It does seem like a possibility…if there is one Goddess that is taking pity on us…well, that would definitely prolong any planned destruction they may have for us, for they must work as one to efficiently destroy this world and make another," said Woody. Link zoned out the rest of the conversation and just tried to figure out what he wanted to do.

_This tree guy seems to know what he's talking about, but whenever I think of this destruction…I have this feeling deep within me that it's wrong. My gut instinct has never been wrong so why doubt it now?_

"_Hey_," said Link firmly, making the conversation halt as Sheik and Woody turned their attention to him, "He technically may have been a rebirth of me or whatever but I trust my big brothers judgment. He said to go awaken the sages so that's what I'm gonna do. Hell, maybe this shadow is the reason why the Goddess's might be fighting, so might as well eliminate all possible sources this problem may have," Sheik frowned, but saw reason behind his words. Besides, it's not like they can just march up to the heavens and ask why they are fighting.

"Very well Link. You always did feel with your heart on your sleeve and perhaps that will be a good thing this time around…?" said Woody. Link gave him a puzzled look.

"Huh?" asked Link.

"Oh nothing, you two best get some sleep if you wish to be fit to cleanse the Forest Temple tomorrow," said Woody. Sheik stood while Link just groaned.

"Man, I almost forgot about that…but at lest it's something new right? Never tried beating a temple without swinging my sword at lest a few times," said Link then smiled reassuringly at Saria when she gave him a worried look, "Hey, the only one that has something to worry about is whatever is screwing with your temple. It'll never know what hit him until Sheiky and I come at it like a hurricane!"

The Sheikah blinked. Link had never used that nickname in front of others before. He smiled softly, then bowed to the huge tree guardian then turned and walked up the path.

"Be careful Link. We have no hope of survival should something happen to you," said Woody gravely. Link sighed as he watched the Sheikah leave.

"Ya, the world is always depending on me…I just hope I'm strong enough to pull through this time," muttered Link, then stood and picked Saria up and held her against his left side. After a wave to Woody, Link then followed Sheik.

Link put Saria down once they reached her house.

"I'll sleep with Melissa, so you guys can stay here and leave whenever you want in the morning. What do you guys want for breakfast tomorrow?" asked Saria.

"I don't suppose you have anything normal like sausage or eggs?" asked Sheik.

"What are those?" asked Saria. Sheik sighed.

"Never mind. Whatever you provide will be much appreciated," muttered Sheik.

"I wouldn't mind some of those coco critters again, but maybe something hot? Whatever, there's not much I won't eat," said Link laughing along with Saria as Sheik gave him a dull look.

"We eat pretty much anything we can find in the forest, but sometimes the Skull Kid will bring us interesting food from outside," said Saria as they went inside her house.

"Humph, well you guys can trust what that little rascal gives you but I sure as hell won't. He'd probably give me chocolate covered rat turds and tell me its candy," muttered Link as he took the offered blanket that Saria handed him, then she frowned at him before turning and giving a blanket to Sheik.

"He's only like that because he really likes you. You should have seen what he did to Mido a few days ago," said Saria, giggling at the memory, " He put this weird smelling stuff in his hair and like, after a few minutes, it turned his hair bright blue, but it washed out in a few days. Then just before he left, he stuffed a bunch of spiders in the chests that are in Mido's house. He's deathly afraid of spiders, but I have to say that I've never seen him run so fast! And those spiders must have been as big as my pinky," She giggled again then hugged Link tightly.

Sheik was rather surprised when she walked over and wrapped herself around his middle. He finally patted her back awkwardly.

"Don't worry. He'll come around. You'll just have to deal with his childish nature and thick headedness, something that will never fade by the way, but if your just as crafty like you were the last time, then you'll get him yet," whispered Saria, then walked toward the doorway and left after a final wave.

Link yawned then dropped right where he was and snuggled into his blanket.

_Hmmm…didn't notice there was a rug here before._

He looked up when he noticed Sheik hadn't moved yet and chuckled at the shocked expression in the Sheikah's eyes.

"What? Did Saria reveal a deep dark secret about you?" asked Link jokingly. Sheik spun to face him, his eyes a mixture of different emotions, but he blinked and they were gone.

"It was nothing. We should get to bed," said Sheik, then strode to a corner and sat against the wall and faced the doorway then draped his blanket over himself. Link frowned, then turned and leaned on his left elbow.

"Why are you sleeping way over there? Its more comfortable here on this rug then over there on the hard wooden floor," said Link. Sheik leaned back and closed his eyes.

"No, it will be easier to react to danger if I'm not laying on the floor," muttered Sheik, then opened his eyes slightly to peer at a pouting Link, "Not to mention being that close to you will most likely make me deaf by morning," Link smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry…Midna had a great deal to say about my snoring during our adventure," said Link, then lowered his eyes, "I can go sleep outside then, its not like I haven't before. This village is protected by Woody so I'll be safe," Then started to detach himself from his blanket, but started when Sheik was suddenly right next to him.

_I didn't even hear him get up!_

"That is not happening. This place was at one time, dangerous. So it is very possible that it can happen again and with my luck, it will happen the second you leave my sight. I will simply deal with it for now," said Sheik as he placed himself between Link and the doorway.

"That isn't fair. I can't just go to sleep when I know you might be up all night because of my snoring! What if you get hurt tomorrow by some savage monster because you were to tired to notice it stalking around a corner! I…I just…Din dame it! I don't know how Midna put up with it! She just was always in my shadow or sleeping on my back as a wolf!" exclaimed Link as he sat up. Sheik sighed as he sat up as well.

"I can't do my job if your not there for me to protect, and don't look at me like that, I am fully aware you are not defenseless, but you are about to have perhaps every monster or beast in the world after your blood. Regaining your sword arm will hinder them I'm sure, but do you honestly believe you are able to face something that is gaining the aid of possibly every enemy that has opposed you in the past? There is no telling what this shadow is capable of. Or what lengths it will go to achieve its goal," said Sheik as he stared hard at Link, "This is why I will do whatever it takes to make sure you survive, and trust me, having to deal with your snoring is the lest of my worries. I've dealt with similar things before and I've been fine," Sheik sighed impatiently when Link folded his arms in front of him and gave the Sheikah a defiant look.

"Link, please I…what if you lay face down?" asked Sheik suddenly. Link blinked.

"Why?" asked Link.

"When we were in Kakariko, there was one morning where I had not heard your snoring and it turned out that was because you had your face buried in your pillow…" Sheik then narrowed his eyes, "Ah yes. That was the day after you _stole _my cat for the first time…though it is nice that she has someone else she trust's," Link gave him a half smile, then turned onto his belly laid back down.

"Ok, I'll give it a shot. Just don't yell or punch me if I'm snoring ok?" said Link. Sheik raised an eye brow, then laid down himself.

"Why would I yell or punch you?" asked Sheik. Link then chuckled.

"Oh ya, that was a Midna moment there. She had a bad habit of startling me awake when I was bothering her…ya, she realized that isn't a good idea when she almost lost her foot when I had drawn the Master Sword and swung by instinct," said Link, then yawned, "Alright, I'm officially beat. Night, Sheik," He then buried his face as deep as he could in his blankets without suffocating himself.

"Goodnight Link," muttered the Sheikah and then turned away from Link, facing the doorway.

Sheik looked out the doorway and spotted the moon almost directly in front of his line of sight. He always did like the moon for some odd reason. It just calmed him like nothing else could, not to mention most of his fond memories had happened at night, when the moon was high in the sky.

He glanced over his shoulder and laughed softly when he realized Link was already out like a light and was happy to see that his snoring had indeed been muffled to where Sheik might actually get some sleep tonight.

He sighed, then turned back to look at the moon. He was drifting off when something suddenly pushed up against his back, startling him. Sheik looked back over his shoulder but suddenly his vision was filled with dirty blonde hair. The Hero had his face shoved between Sheik's back and his blanket, his snoring still muffled but that wasn't Sheik's biggest concern now.

Sheik found that he couldn't have moved if his life depended on it. He stayed frozen in place, but strangely wasn't uncomfortable. He just didn't understand why Link was able to shatter his concentration so easily, or make him act so out of character…or has that part of himself always been there? Lurking in the shadows unseen until it was called forth?

Link snuggled closer, burying himself deeper into his blankets. Sheik realized he must he searching blindly for warmth. Taking a deep breath, the Sheikah relaxed and closed his eyes. He could at lest give him that, for he couldn't help but realize that the Hero wasn't that much older then him and yet he's been through more then every solider in Hyrule combined.

Maybe one of these days Sheik could finally find out why he was suddenly so fiercely protective of Link, especially when he realized that his destiny as his guide had nothing to do with these feelings.

Link groaned when bright light suddenly shone in his face and quickly turned his face away from it.

"You need to get up Link. You've slept long enough," said a quiet voice from where he just turned away from. Turning back, Link cracked an eye open at the Sheikah that stood over him.

"Breakfast isn't even here yet…" mumbled Link, then groaned as his forehead hit the floor when Sheik chuckled while pushing a tray closer to him with his foot.

"Saria and I have been talking for the past half hour. You just missed her as she left when that red haired boy from yesterday came in and gave us our breakfast," said Sheik, then took a sip of his cup that Link just realized he was carrying.

Any argument was forgotten the moment the smell of sausage and eggs suddenly filled his nose. Sitting up he immediately started to stuff his face, then stopped mid bite and looked down at what was _on _his plate.

"Yes, it seems Saria asked the Skull Kid to bring us food from outside," said Sheik then rolled his eyes when Link suddenly shot away from the food as if Ganon himself would come flying off the plate, "Oh relax, I've already checked if there was anything wrong with it….and I admit that he was crafty, hiding those Fei leaves by wrapping them around the sausages, but they are fine now," Link grumbled as he crawled back to his food.

"That little punk. One of these days I'm going to give him a taste of his own medicine. Oh, thanks for checking the food though, but what's a Fei leaf?" asked Link once he sat in front of the tray, then ate more slowly this time.

"They are the leaves of a Fei plant. The plant itself is harmless, but the leaves will cause the nerves of a person to spasm. It affects many things such as the mind or body and it also affects magic, though I don't know how. It also takes a rather large amount for this to be deadly, but it is possible for it to kill a person because they could no longer breath properly or killed by something else because they could no longer control their own movements," said Sheik.

"What! This could have _killed _me? What was he thinking! And you don't sound worried at all!" exclaimed Link. Sheik raised an eye brow.

"That's because, as I said, it takes a rather large amount to make this deadly enough to kill someone…and you would have had what, four leaves? The worst that could do to you is make you look rather ridiculous as you walk with a drunken spastic stagger," said Sheik, smirking as Link just grumbled before returning to his food.

Once he finished, Link pushed his plate aside and rubbed his right arm gently as he yawned.

"What's wrong? Is your arm starting to hurt again?" asked Sheik sharply. Link blinked, then looked down surprised when he just noticed that his right arm was tingling with a slight tickling sensation.

"Hmmm, it doesn't hurt. I feel like something is in there tickling it actually," muttered Link then turned toward the doorway when Saria came bursting through it.

"Something's happening to Woody! Please help him! I don't know, I mean, I was just-!" Saria's frantic plea was cut short as Link rushed to her side along with Sheik.

"Calm down Saria alright? Just take us to him," said Link, then after a nod Saria took off toward the right of her house. They followed her while the children of the village all ran with them. They crowded the narrow pathway until they finally stood before the giant tree guardian.

"Stay away!" grunted Woody, his voice layered with pain. Saria clung to Link's side as he stood there just staring in shock.

Leaves covered the ground, and more were joining them as Woody was shaking from the obvious waves of pain that were coursing through him, but Link was suddenly jerked backwards when one of his high branches came hurling down and landed just where he had been standing. Sheik dragged him back to the narrow pathway, trying to push the children with him.

The children were distraught, not knowing what to do to help their guardian. Link suddenly looked down at his right arm when he finally realized that the tickling sensation had become a strong pressure.

_Its him! That bastard is trying to make my wound flare again!_

Link then looked sharply back up toward Woody, noticing that whatever was causing this was getting worse, for they could hear the cracking sound of wood as more branches began falling from his canopy. Link took a shaking breath, lowering his eyes.

_He's shielding me…_

He growled as fury blazed through every vein in his body. Saria swung her head toward him when something suddenly flashed and her eyes widened when she caught sight of the triforce symbol on the back of Link's right hand glow just before he ripped himself out of Sheik's hold and bolted toward Woody.

Sheik was startled, but quickly bolted after him, cursing when he realized that the chaotic energy in the area would hinder his teleporting ability. It was by sheer luck that Link barely missed being crushed by a massive branch during his mad dash toward Woody's face.

"Link! Are you crazy? We have to get away from here! You can't help-!" but Sheik stopped mid speech when Link raised his right fist and smashed it into Woody's trunk. He skidded to a stop, almost ramming into Link just when he noticed that his right hand was radiating with a holy green light.

Woody immediately stopped shaking, and let out an exhausted sigh as his whole body seemed to glow with the holy light from Link. Link yanked his fist out of Woody's trunk, not making a sound, then laid the glowing arm near his side. Sheik strode in front of him, about to show the Hero just how frustrated he was at the moment, but suddenly froze when Link turned to gaze at him with…_green eyes_?

"Don't let him rely on me…I will not always be able to help him…" said a sad female voice that came from Link. Then the holy green light faded and Link stumbled forward and almost hit the floor before Sheik caught a hold of him.

"What happened…? Woody! Oh my goddess, Woody are you alright?" asked Link franticly as he righted himself and swung to face the tree guardian. Woody let out another sigh just as the children came running toward him.

"You don't remember?" asked Woody when the children all crowded around his face, "I'm fine, I'm fine. You all needn't worry,"

Link looked puzzled, then looked to his side when Sheik gripped his right arm gently. Looking down, he saw blood running down the length of his arm, but strangely didn't feel any pain.

"There must be lingering power from…whoever helped you. It is keeping the pain just out reach," muttered Sheik as he undid Link's bandage's, "Saria, will you get fresh bandages for Link?" Saria nodded, then dashed away.

"Thanks for helping me Woody, but I don't remember what happened after I realized you must have been shielding me," said Link as Sheik pulled out the half empty bottle of the Goddess's Tears and begun to rub it into his wound, " But…I do remember that I suddenly felt so angry that everyone around me just seems to suffer…"

"Misfortune tends to follow when dealing with evil forces but don't think for a second that you are the cause of it. I am a guardian not only to these children, but to Hyrule as well. I would have been a target regardless if you had been here or not, but I am grateful that the moment it chose to attack had been when Goddess Farore was here with you to stop it," said Woody. Link gaped at him while Sheik's hand stood posed over his wound mid stroke as he stared at Woody in disbelief.

"_What_? I'm sorry did you just say when _Goddess Farore _was here with me?" asked Link in astonishment. Saria came rushing back with a pile of bandages and handed them to Sheik.

"That would explain your eyes…and voice," said Sheik as he rubbed the last of the potion onto Link's wound then began to rewrap it.

"What about my eyes and voice?" asked Link as Sheik finished wrapping his wound. The Sheikah noticed plenty extra then nodded to Saria and folded them then placed it into the folds of his suit.

"Well, you had bolted away from me when Woody's branches started to fall so I chased after you. Then after our mad dash of where you somehow managed to _not _get crushed, you made it to Woody's face and proceeded to smash your right fist, your _injured _one, into Woody's trunk. That was when I first noticed the green light coming from your triforce symbol and it engulfed your whole arm but I'm afraid I was I bit to frustrated to care much…that is until I faced you and Goddess Farore spoke to me through you," said Sheik.

"Oh my…you mean I have a Goddess actually helping me out! That is awesome! This quest will be done in no time then!" exclaimed Link but Sheik shook his head.

"No Link. The Goddess had said to not rely on her, because she will not always be able to help you…which leads me to believe that Woody's original idea was true. Something is happening to her and yet she still aided you even though she is most likely in distress herself," said Sheik then they both turned to Woody when he gave a long sigh.

"This is getting far to compacted, but if anything, you have the right idea Link. So I suggest you both head to the Forest Temple. The faster you cleanse it, the faster Saria can help you restore your sword arm," said Woody. Sheik frowned as he looked down at the empty bottle of the silver Goddess's Tears.

"We don't have anymore of this, so I dearly hope that whoever is opposing us doesn't decide to attack you once we enter the Forest Temple…" muttered Sheik. Link smirked.

"Hey, that guy just got decked by a Goddess. I'd be surprised if we saw him awake a year from now," said Link, then laughed as Sheik gave him a pointed look.

"Lets just go," muttered Sheik, then turned and bowed to Woody. He walked over to where Saria was standing and spoke quietly with her while Link sighed and turned to Woody.

"I will sense when the energy of the Forest Temple flows freely again. So just come back here so we can prepare the medicine for your wound," said Woody. Link nodded.

"Alright. You take it easy now you hear?" said Link as he pointed a finger at Woody.

The huge tree guardian chuckled. A sound that seemed to vibrate through his whole body.

"You never change, even four life times later. I wish you the best of luck," said Woody.

Link waved then turned and walked to where Sheik was talking with Saria.

"Ok, I'll take you guys there but I'm afraid that I won't be much help if we run into a monster," said Saria. Link rolled his eyes, then scooped her up and held her against his left side. She giggled as Link strode through the narrow passageway.

"We best plan ahead. So will you be using weapons from a distance or mainly magic? That Din's Fire spell will cause plenty of damage I'm sure," said Sheik as they walked through the village.

"I think I'll just do what I do best. Wing it," said Link as they reached the ledge beside Mido's house.

"What? How can you even consider going into such a dangerous place without a plan! What if none of your weapons are effective against the enemies we face!" exclaimed Sheik as Link lifted Saria into the ledge then climbed up himself.

"Then I'm sure the weapon that will _be _effective will be in some random hidden chest somewhere in there. That is how it always ways for every other temple I've ever defeated and I don't see why this one would be any different," said Link as he picked Saria back up and put her against his left side again. He chuckled at the look of disbelief on Sheik's face before turning and strode up the hill to where they first entered the village.

"I can't believe it. Even the way you think is reckless!" exclaimed Sheik as he trailed after him. Link grinned at him as he set Saria on the ground.

"That was a surprise to you? Details were never my kind of thing, but I'm not stupid. If I'm faced with a Darknut while equipped with nothing but a toothpick well I'm certainly not going to go blindly charging at it," said Link as they both followed Saria through the forest.

"Well that's a relief," muttered Sheik.

"Unless I find a sharp rock or maybe a few bombling's. I'm sure I could pull it off with either of those…as long as others don't show up that is," said Link. Sheik hit his hand to his forehead.

"Looks like I have my work cut out for me…" muttered the Sheikah.

"Hey, your supposed to be the guide here. Guides makes the plans and Hero's do the work," said Link, then sidestepped laughing when Sheik swiped at him, "Its true!"

"There have been plenty of Hero's over the ages who had been brilliant strategists! Would it really kill you to pull just a _little _more thought into your actions? You might found that things go a lot smoother that way," said Sheik. He lost count of how many hollowed logs they went through, but now he could tell why it was called the lost woods, for almost every single area looked exactly like the one that came before it.

"I like doing things the hard way. Its fun and challenging…unless I'm dealing with the Skull Kid. Then its just pure madness with absolutely no logic whatsoever," said Link.

"But of coarse you like doing things the hard way…I guess it could be worse. I don't know what I'd do if you were more like that child back in the village…what was his name? Mido? Then you would be reckless and a prick," said Sheik. Link turned toward him, his eyes wide.

"Wow, that's the first time I've heard you come right out and say something negative about someone like that," said Link.

"I don't know. I don't normally say such things…but something just unsettles me about that boy," muttered Sheik.

"That's how I felt when I first met him. Then my whole attitude changed, and its like I _knew _it just wouldn't be worth the trouble," said Link. Then they entered a clearing where a narrow passageway stood in front of them.

"The Forest Temple is just past this area! We just got to get past this little maze part then we are home free!" exclaimed Saria. They walked forward, but Sheik glanced up and suddenly stopped once he spotted something familiar.

Link turned to look at the Sheikah curiously, then tilted his head when Sheik strode in between them and teleported them to the high walls of the narrow passageway.

"Oh! I've never gone _over _the maze before! How fun!" exclaimed Saria as she peered over the ledge of the high moss covered wall. Link smiled at her silly nature, then turned once he noticed Sheik had walked away from them.

He followed Sheik until he stopped in front of a grayish blue stone. Link blinked, looking at the eye symbol on the stone then looked back at the white material in front of Sheik's body suit.

"Wow. Those are really similar," muttered Link.

"That is because that symbol is my race's trademark. This is a Gossip Stone," said Sheik. He looked almost fondly at it, then reached in the folds of his suit and pulled out an empty bottle and his flute. He handed the bottle to a puzzled Link, then raised the flute and played a song that the Hero had never heard before.

The stone suddenly flashed and a fairy appeared. It flew slowly above the stone and Link then understood what the bottle was for so he quickly uncorked it and swiped it out of the air. Putting the cork back on he then grinned as he handed it back to Sheik.

"That was pretty awesome. Do all these guys do that?" asked Link as Sheik tucked the bottled fairy into his suit.

"Yes, among other things, but this will be our most useful aspect of them at the moment," said Sheik then raised the flute again. Startled, Link realized he was playing a different song but hadn't given him a bottle.

_Maybe I'm supposed to provide one now? Would have been nice to know beforehand…_

This new song actually sounded vaguely familiar this time, and Link stopped his frantic search in his pouch to listen to its wild flow while the darkening sky above them went completely unnoticed, as while as the rain that shortly followed.

_Why the hell didn't he tell me of this little song trick? What, am I just supposed to stand here like an idiot! _

Each note just seemed to fed this rising fury that rose from deep within him and it didn't seem to have a source but still it grew. From the stone came another fairy but this one was larger and shone with a bright red light.

Sheik spoke softly in Sheikah to it and asked if it would journey with them to the upcoming temple and give aid when needed. The red fairy bobbed in front of his face and agreed cheerfully but suddenly froze. Sheik tilted his head when she started to talk so fast that it made no sense to him, but turned when he heard a growl from behind him.

Sheik was met with a murderous Link, who looked like he was barely containing himself. The Sheikah's eyes widened when he realized what happened. So he darted around Link and dashed over to where Saria was staring up at the storming sky.

"Hey! Get back here you son of a-!" but Link's furious yell was cut off as Sheik teleported them to the other side of the maze.

"Why was Link yelling?" asked Saria as she looked over toward where they just teleported from. Link was swinging his head in different directions until he finally spotted them and proceeded to storm toward them.

"This was my fault…I had forgotten the affect the Song of Storms had on people…but the magic will wear off by the time he reaches us," said Sheik. Then true to his words, the darkened sky started to dissipate just when Link stormed right up to them. The Hero stopped mid step, looking completely lost for a moment then shook his head as he stumbled the rest of the way over to them.

"What in the world was that? I suddenly felt so mad and I don't know why…"muttered Link once he stood in front of them. The red fairy finally let go of Sheik's blonde bangs to hover near his head.

"As Woody has said, you wear your heart on your sleeve so the Song of Storms had taken all your unbridled emotions and twisted them into rage. I'm sorry…I should have told you first," said Sheik.

"Its fine, just give me a heads up next ok? That way I can high tail it out of here before all hell breaks lose…but wait, why didn't Saria get mad?" asked Link. Saria tilted her head to the side.

"I barely heard what Sheik was playing but I felt the magic stirring in the air. I didn't feel angry though, but that might be because I have my own magic to protect me," said Saria.

"Zelda had also been affected the same way you did Link, but my mother and myself have always been unaffected. This is because Sheikah are taught from a young age to control their emotions, so it is much harder for the Song of Storms twist them," said Sheik. He looked up to the hovering red fairy and spoke in Sheikah to it again. It took a few minutes, but he was finally able to convince the frightened fairy to hover over to Link.

The Hero looked curiously at it, "Wow, you're the biggest fairy I've ever seen, well, besides the great fairy in the Cave of Ordeals. What's your name huh?" Link smiled as he held out his hand. The fairy landed hesitantly in his palm.

"Abby," said the red fairy shyly.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Abby. I'm Link, the Hero of Jackass's. That was totally not me back there by the way, but it seems I still scared you. I'm sorry," said Link. Abby giggled at the pout he gave her, then flew off his palm to hover near his face.

"Its ok. Your funny Link, and I can tell your not a bad person so I'll make sure you stay healthy for your battles!" exclaimed Abby as she flew around his head several times. Link laughed, then an image of a similar scene suddenly flashed before his eyes.

_Why did I see a blue fairy?…and why is she screaming "hey" at me?_

"Link, we best get going. We've wasted enough time here," said Sheik. Link shook his head then walked over to where Saria was climbing down a latter, "I can teleport us down if you would rather not climb,"

"No way. I can handle this," said Link then lowered himself off the side and started the long descend down the latter. Link finally reached the bottom and straightened just when Sheik just landed gracefully next to him, making him jump and almost fall over.

"Good Goddess! Did you just jump off the edge!" exclaimed Link. Sheik raised an eye brow, then strode forward chuckling.

"It wasn't that far," said the Sheikah as he strode up some stairs.

"Ya ya," grumbled Link as he trailed after the Sheikah while Saria skipped ahead of him.

They all entered a clearing where a tall building covered in vines towered above them. Its stairway was broken, with its bottom half completely missing. Saria giggled then ran over to a short stump and sat down. She pulled out a brown ocarina and began to play a song that sounded really familiar to Link.

He grinned as he listened to the song, its energy filling him with excitement and a strange urge to dance. He jogged around Sheik, who listened with a thoughtful expression, and headed over to Saria. He didn't get more then five feet away from the Sheikah before the ground suddenly gave out from under him.

He fell with a shout of surprise and suddenly saw the spikes mounted on the ground where he was falling, ready to impale him once he landed, but suddenly something grabbed him from behind and now was sprawled out on the grass not more then two feet away from he had fallen.

"I dearly hope this isn't going to be an on going thing…" muttered the Sheikah from beside him. They both tensed when a crackling laugh filled the air. Sheik jumped up with his daggers ready just when a Poe appeared, her glowing eyes holding a mischievous gleam while she casually waved the red flame she carried. Link jumped up as well and quickly drew his sword just when three other Poe's appeared.

Link backed up, standing back to back with Sheik when two of the Poe's hovered closer to him, twirling their blue and purple flames as they went. Sheik raised his daggers to strike the approaching Poe that just joined the red one, her green flame dancing wildly as she spun around with that crackling laughing again.

"Stop!" shouted Saria as she approached them.

"Saria stay back! Its dangerous!" shouted Link. Saria still ran closer until she stood near the hovering blue Poe.

"Darn right it is dangerous! Did you hear that Joelle! Link could have been seriously hurt because of that prank you pulled! And I know it was you! None of the others even bother to cover up that pit! Now say your sorry!" shouted Saria as she put her hands on her hips.

Link excepted the Poes to laugh and just throw fire at her but to his amazement they all suddenly hung their heads, while the red one hovered closer to Link. He tensed, and he felt Sheik leaning slightly against his right side, ready to attack should the Poe pose a threat, but Link was surprised to see the mischievous gleam was gone from her glowing eyes and was replaced with a shameful downcast look.

She hovered right up to him and made a strange whining sound. Link looked over at Saria then quickly back to the Poe, confused.

"She's trying to say she's sorry," said Saria simply.

"Um…its fine?" said Link hesitantly to the red Poe. She looked back up at him again, her glowing eyes peered at him curiously now then made that crackling laugh as she hovered away and joined the others high above them.

Saria sighed as she walked over to the gaping pair that started at the hovering Poe's above them.

"I must say. I've never met a Poe that showed remorse for a wrong doing before…" muttered Sheik as he out away his daggers.

"How did you do that!" exclaimed Link after he sheathed his sword. Saria tilted her head to the side confused.

"Do what?" asked Saria.

"You, you just…with the Poe's…how did you control them like that!" exclaimed Link finally. Saria frowned.

"I didn't control them. They are the guardians of this temple…they are just a little mischievous and can get carried away at times," said Saria.

"A _little _carried away?" said Link, then glanced at the pit that had almost ended his journey, "I'd hate to see what totally crazy is to them then," Saria giggled.

"Ya, you don't want to see that, its pretty intense," said Saria, then looked up at the hovering Poe's and called them over, "They will help through the temple ok? Oh, and Sheik you won't be able teleport into a room you haven't been in already. Sorry, its part of the protect magic," said Saria bashfully. Sheik sighed then peered up at the towering temple.

"Its better then not being able to teleport at all," said Sheik.

"Alright! So introductions need to be made! Guys these are the Poe sisters. The red one is Joelle, the blue one is Beth, the Green one is Amy and the purple one is Meg. This is Link and Sheik girls, and you all need to help them got it?" said Saria. All four sisters gave her a thumbs up and then proceeded to high five each other.

Link started at the action, not really understanding why the move suddenly made him want to shout in anger and laugh at the same time.

"Will I still be able to teleport up to that ledge there?" asked Sheik as he pointed to the ledge right under the entrance to the temple.

"Sure. Its just the inside that's going to give you trouble. Now good luck guys! I'll be waiting right here ok?" said Saria then dashed over to the same short stump as before and started to play that bouncy song again.

"It seems that song does the exact opposite of the Song of Storms, but we can ask her about it later. We have much to do I'm sure," said Sheik. Link sighed, then looked up sharply when he heard the crackling laugh of the Poe sisters as they disappeared.

"Alright, lets get his over with," said Link. Sheik teleported them to the ledge overhead then they walked cautiously inside.

Link immediately froze once they entered. A sense of deja vue suddenly went through him and another image flashed before his eyes.

_It's the same picture…just with Wolfos's popping out and that blue fairy screaming "watch out" at me …I wonder…are these…memories? Am I seeing what the Hero of Time went through like four hundred years ago?_

"Are you ready?" asked Sheik. Link nodded, then strode forward while trying to ignore the feeling that he was being watched.

_Probably those Poe sisters…I certainly wouldn't put it past them to mess with me like this…Din dame it! They are just something else in this dame forest that loves to mess with me! Why can't I ever catch a break!_

* * *

The hooded man sat in a comfortable chair reading an ancient scroll while pulling every ounce of his will power to ignore the constant humming of his companion that sat near the window with his eyes closed. He would have yelled for silence awhile ago but he had to admit, it was pretty smart of him to curse the Hero of Twilight through one of his shadows. Now that wound won't heal properly and his shorter companion can mentally attack him from a distance.

Now he just wished that there was somewhere else the little arse could go to do this but he couldn't risk anyone seeing him just yet, so he was forced to endure it for now.

He started when a flash of green light suddenly appeared from his companions direction but before he could even look up, the purple clothed man was flung clear across the room and crashed into one of his priceless antique cabinet hutch's. Really, why does everything he ever do seem centered in pissing him off?

He strode over to his companion and was surprised to find him out cold. Well, this will be an interesting story to hear later…


	20. Chapter 20

Hey guys, i'm having a bit of trouble right now so it might be a while for the next chapter but i made sure to finish this one so enjoy.

* * *

Link walked cautiously through the hallway, always looking up for some reason. Abby giggled as she held onto the back of Link's long green cap and swayed with his movements.

_Ever since I walked through the front door…I keep having this feeling that something's going to pop out of the shadows of the ceiling and grab me…_

"Wait," said Sheik sharply to his left. Link stopped mid step, looking curiously at his guide. Before Link could even ask, Sheik suddenly hurled a dagger toward the ceiling in front of them and the sound of a crackling laugh filled the air until Joelle hovered down from the ceiling only to suddenly disappear.

"Well that was weird…" muttered Link as he walked forward again, but the startled gasp behind him made him stop before he was roughly grabbed from behind and teleported away.

They reappeared in front of the door they just went through. Link jumped back when he heard something crash into the door from the other side.

"What the hell was that!" exclaimed Link, then turned when he heard Sheik suddenly start yelling from somewhere to the right of him. He jogged up to where the Sheikah was having a one sided shouting contest with the now visible Joelle. The red Poe was just laughing as Sheik continued to yell at her.

"What were you _thinking_! That could have killed us! Stop laughing! This isn't funny!" yelled Sheik angrily. Joelle laughed, then pointed above her before disappearing again. Link looked up toward where she had pointed while Sheik cursed at the spot Joelle at last been at before walking up to the Hero.

"As _absurd _as that ghost may be, I doubt Saria would have them help us if they didn't know what they were doing. So I will investigate, and you should take this," said Sheik as he pulled out a map, "I don't know if it will show it, but you might as well see if the Forest Temple area is on this,"

"Why cant I go investigate?" asked Link angrily. Sheik sighed, then crossed his arms.

"Because it would be in our best interest to finish this temple as quickly as possible but since you have an injured arm, it will make it hard for you to climb and also it would be pointless if I was to teleport you up there because I would be doing most of the work anyway, so I might as well just investigate myself. You will still be the Hero though Link, I'm just clearing the way for you at the moment," said Sheik as he held out the map. Link grumbled but snatched the map from his hand then stomped over toward the entrance.

"Linky! Don't be so mad at Sheiky. He's just making things a little easier for you. Now lets see that map. I bet we will find lots of cool stuff on it! Come on, open it!" exclaimed the red fairy that flew around his head. Link couldn't help the small smile that came from the nickname the fairy had for him. So he unrolled the map and looked down at it.

"Alrighty then. This map doesn't even show past Ordon, and I even _know _all these places its showing. Jeeze, what a waste of-" but Link gaped when he noticed the ink was flowing toward the right of the page, as if someone was taking a pen and drawing the area at that very moment.

_Oh my Goddess…that's the Sacred Groove! It can update itself! _

Link looked up sharply when he suddenly heard cursing from high above him. Then Sheik teleported right in front of him with his whole top half covered in what looked like white powder.

"Can they really be this immature! Good Goddess, why not a simple _hey you forgot a key_?" grumbled the Sheikah as he attempted to dust himself off. Link walked up to him, then couldn't help but laugh when he realized Sheik's whole top half was covered in flour. Sheik glared, then used the newly found key to point at him.

"It isn't _funny_, Link," said Sheik, then huffed when Abby joined in, "Alright are you both quite done yet! We do have a time limit here," Link grinned at the frustrated Sheikah, then waved behind him. Sheik swung around to see Beth waving back before she pointed at Sheik and disappeared with a crackling laugh.

"So she's the one that rigged that chest..." muttered Sheik. Link gave him a curious look, "There was a chest on top of a tree above us so I went to check it out. Once I opened it, I saw nothing but flour but I figured there had to be something worth while up here because Joelle was _kind _enough to give us a hint. Of coarse when I reached inside the chest I found this key but it seems lifting it triggered a trap which caused the flour to shoot in my face," Sheik rolled his eyes at the laughing pair, then turned and strode to the door they had previously went through.

Link snickered as he followed then blinked when Sheik began struggling to open the door.

_That door wasn't that hard to open before._

Link eyes widened when Sheik finally yanked it open to reveal a spiked log blocking a good portion of the entryway. He looked to the door and saw that one of the spikes had almost pierced it clean through.

"_That's _what almost hit us! Are you serious!" exclaimed Link. Abby flew close to his face.

"Joelle has always been the one that would often go overboard with the pranks. Beth is the one that likes to be crafty, as you've seen Sheiky. Amy isn't _as _much of a prankster but does loves puzzles, but Meg is the one you better be careful around. She likes to mess with peoples heads," said Abby as she bobbed next to Link, "Don't get me wrong through. They aren't bad gals, they just don't know when to stop sometimes,"

They opened the door at the other end and walked into a bigger room. Link noticed four unlit torches and then blinked as another memory flashed within his mind.

_There were four different colored flames burning in those torches…and the Poe Sisters took them? Why? _

"Abby…were the Poe Sisters always good gals?" asked Link. Sheik turned toward him, curious at the sudden question. Abby swung around to look at him with wide eyes.

"Of coarse they were! This is their home so they would obviously protect it, well, as long as nothing is corrupting them…" muttered Abby.

"What do you mean?" asked Link.

"Well…Poe's are already pretty close to the darkness of the world so…its easy to twist those who don't want to purposely hurt others. The Evil King of Darkness had come here long ago and corrupted the Poe Sisters and got them to hinder the Hero of Time when he was cleansing the Forest Temple. Saria eventually got a hold of them and fixed them right up and I heard that when the Hero of Time came back to the forest to visit they went up to him and apologized and they were friends ever since," said Abby, then giggled when she remembered something else, "Oh, and they were rather fond of his buddy too, and they showed that in their own…unique way," Sheik rolled his eyes, then walked down the stairs and approached the unlit torches.

Link followed him, but looked rather confused, "Buddy? Who are you talking about?" asked Link.

"Well, his friend of coarse. He guided the ancient Hero all through his journey and ended up leaving with him once it was over," said Abby and then she sped over to where Sheik was investigating the area where the torches laid. She bobbed around the Sheikah's head and giggled.

"He was a lot like your friend Sheiky here! Exactly like him actually. I wonder…are you related to the Ancient hero's friend Sheiky?" asked Abby. Sheik paused to glance up at the red fairy hovering near his face, then went back to investigating.

"You could say that," said Sheik. Link sighed as he glanced around the room until he spotted a door that was locked.

_Why do things always have to be so complicated? Whatever…_

"Hey Sheik, I think we need to go up that way," said Link as he pointed to the locked door. Sheik frowned as he looked up.

"There is a dais here, but it seems something has to trigger it to rise. I suppose the means for that will be somewhere else in the temple. I'll lead the way or do you _want _to be hit with another spiked log before I have a chance to get us away?" asked Sheik sharply before Link had a chance to protest. Link huffed, but waited for Sheik to walk ahead of him before following.

"This really sucks. Big time. I hate being so dependent on something!" exclaimed Link angrily as they approached the locked door. Sheik sighed, then turned toward the sulking Hero.

"Were you not once dependent on your sword?" asked Sheik.

"That was different. I had other weapons I could use and even then, It was pretty rare that I would find something that I couldn't defeat with my bare hands…you'd be surprised how weak some of those guys were. Let's just get this temple done already, I'm tired of sitting on the side lines when your kicking ass," said Link. Not really liking the reason, but glad the Hero had something to spur him on without farther argument, Sheik unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Abby peered out from on top of Link's head as he cautiously followed Sheik into the narrow hallway. Sheik gestured that it was safe to come closer, then walked up to a large blue block. Link walked up and ran his hand over the smooth surface, noting how familiar the triforce design carved into it looked then another memory flashed before his eyes.

_A song gets rid of this thing?_

"I think this is a Time Block. They were mentioned in the history my mother had taught me about the journey of the Hero of Time, but I'm afraid she said nothing about how to remove them," said Sheik.

"I've gotta play a song…but I have no idea which one or where to even start looking for it," said Link as he pulled out the Ocarina of Time, then just looked hopelessly down at it.

"Perhaps my scroll will provide some use here," muttered Sheik as he pulled it out form the folds of his suit. He unrolled the scroll and glanced over the songs as Link raised the Ocarina of Time to his lips and posed his fingers over the holes on the instrument in hopes it would help him and to his amazement, the notes of a particular song just seemed to flow through him.

He played this song perfectly, then jumped back startled when the block suddenly was covered in blue light and disappeared.

"Well, that worked out," muttered Link.

"The Song of Time. Initiates time travel and…removes time blocks. Yes, I do believe the Song of Time was what you just played then," said Sheik as he glanced farther down the parchment, "I hadn't noticed there were this many songs on here,"

"Fascinating. Lets move on," said Link dully, then he turned and opened the door and walked inside the room the time block had hid from view, "Maybe there will be a song to speed up time in there because that would obviously be-"

"Link watch out!" yelled Sheik as he sped forward and hurled a dagger that flew right past Link's left eye. Link heard a pained howl from behind him, and swung around just in time to see a Wolfos jump over the one that had just hit the ground and come charging at him.

Link instinctively threw his right hand up to shield his face from the Wolfos's snapping jaws just before it rammed into him, causing the Hero to scream in pain as to much pressure was put on his wounded arm.

_Stupid move on my part…_

Link was smashed against the wall with the Wolfos's sharp nails cutting into his already injured arm as it snarled at him. He immediately tried bashing it away from him with his shield, but realized he wasn't carrying a shield. He desperately tried to shove the Wolfos away but his struggling wasn't doing much except excite it more.

A dagger suddenly pieced it's eye just before it had a chance to sink its teeth into Link's shoulder. It jerked back with a pained howl, then Sheik shoved Link to the side just when the other Wolfos came charging at him, causing the wolf to ram head first into the wall.

"Linky! Watch out the other one is coming!" shouted Abby as she clung to his bangs. Link scrambled up from the floor and quickly threw himself to the right to avoid the now one eyed charging Wolfos. He unsheathed his sword and held it ready but suddenly Sheik teleported in front of him and with a strong kick, he sent the Wolfos tumbling to the floor and quickly decapitated it.

Link slid down the wall to sit on the floor, then stared at the headless wolf as Sheik used its fur to wipe the blood off his short sword then sheathed it. The Sheikah then swung to face him, his piercing red eyes narrowed in anger.

"This is why I asked you to stay behind me! Do you even realize that you would be _dead _right now if I hadn't noticed the Wolfos that was ready to rip your head off! Good Goddess! Are you really going to be this stubborn every step of the way!" shouted Sheik, then took a deep breath to steady himself, "Do you not trust me? Is that why you won't ever listen to me? I'll always listen to you should you have an alterative idea but all you seem to like doing is go against everything I say! Just tell me what the problem is. What do you have against me?"

Link sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, then struggled to his feet while Abby fussed over the deep scratch marks running down his arm.

"Look, I don't have anything against you alright? I'm…I'm just used to being in charge. I'm used to being the _Hero_. This feeling of helplessness…it just really gets to me. There's no one else around so I just end up taking it out on you and I'm really sorry ok? I trust you more then you realize, way more then I trust myself. I'll try not to be such an ass anymore," said Link as he lowered his eyes to the ground.

_I can't tell him that I feel more comfortable around him then I ever did with Ilia, or that I like to sleep next to him because his mere presence seems to protect me from those accursed nightmares. I wonder if he knows that he had went to sleep before I had…?_

Sheik frowned at him, but his shawl hid everything but the fierce look within the Sheikah's eyes.

"I mean it! Sheik come on, don't be mad-" But he started when Sheik was suddenly right in his face,

"Don't be _mad_! What should I be then Link! Happy that you weren't torn to pieces! Sad that I have to have this _same _conversation with you every time this sort of situation seems to happen! Confused why you won't rely on me when you _say _you trust me! What Link? What should I feel then!" shouted Sheik. The Sheikah wasn't even sure why he was so angry anymore. It seemed like the mere fact that Link almost _died _from his own carelessness just made him lose it.

Link was cowering. There were plenty of things he could think of saying but every thought just seemed to die in his mouth before it was said.

_Midna has nothing over Sheik! I barely know this guy and yet he can make me feel like a fool without even trying…! _

"I-I, um…" stuttered Link, but he still couldn't form a proper sentence.

"Guys come on! Your on the same team here! Just kiss, make up and move on!" shouted Abby as she flew in between their faces. They both suddenly gaped in disbelief at her, "What?

Once they looked back at each other, they gasped and jumped away as if a poisonous snake was just dropped in front of them.

"Just…just forget it and be careful next time then," said Sheik hurriedly as he speed walked toward the doorway. If he had looked back, he would have seen that Link's face was just as red as his.

_What the hell…? I feel like a blushing school girl! Wait…is this why I'm acting so weird around him? But I don't like guys, or do I? I'll never say it to his face but Sheik does have a rather…feminine appearance but he sure as hell doesn't act like it. He'll totally kill me for saying that but why does it even matter? He's not interested in anything but his duty or whatever…_

"What did I say?" asked Abby as she settled on his left shoulder. Link sighed, then started again when he heard a crackling laugh from behind him. Swinging around he saw Meg hovering a few feet away from him. She swung her lantern back and forth playfully. Link smiled nervously.

"Ah, your…Meg right?" asked Link hesitantly. Sheik put away the dagger he had been ready to throw just as Meg nodded then swayed along with her lantern. Link laughed at the childlike innocence this Poe Sister had.

_Maybe she'll actually help us through this Goddess forsaken place instead of messing with us. _

"It's about time you showed yourself Meg. You could have helped Linky out instead of just sitting there in the air," muttered Abby. Link gave her a confused look as Sheik walked up behind Link.

"Oh she does that, just floating in the air and watching all the action. She's the one that doesn't like to get her hands dirty, oh don't even Meg," said Abby as Meg started to wave a finger at her, "You know its true! Now, what's up?"

Meg hovered over toward the door and jerked her finger toward it.

"What! Hey! We are the ones doing all the work here, so don't be all telling us to hurry up! Shesh," said Abby. Link grinned as the Purple Poe put her hands on her hips…or where her hips would have been.

_They seem to know each other pretty well._

"Let's move on then," said Sheik from behind him. Link turned to see the Sheikah walking back to the door.

"Your actually going to hang with us?" asked Abby as Meg swayed along beside Link. Meg lifted her hand and gave a _maybe _sign, then disappeared with a spin.

"Guess that's a no…" muttered Link, then looked up sharply when he heard a yelp. He chuckled as Sheik quickly straightened and composed himself, trying to pretend he didn't just run head long into the door because of the Purple Poe that suddenly appeared right next to him.

"Aww, look at that. I think she likes you Sheik," said Link as he walked up to the grumbling Sheikah. He then threw his left arm over Sheik's shoulder's and pulled him closer, "Me and my partner here need to get through this place real quick like, so you think you could help us out?"

Meg nodded, then looked down at the Sheikah that had his head bowed. She floated lower to the ground and looked up onto Sheik's flustered red eyes. She tilted her head as Sheik's eyes widened once he noticed her staring at him, but he quickly twisted out from under Link's arm and strode through the narrow hallway and back into the torch room.

"Hey wait up!" exclaimed Link as he ran after Sheik as Abby trailed after him.

Sheik emerged into the torch room and after a quick scan around the room, he descended the stairs right when Link caught up with him.

Sheik stopped at the bottom of the stairs and finally faced Link. Link opened his mouth to speak but it turned into a wide eyed stare once Meg appeared and sharply slapped Sheik upside his head. Link snickered as Sheik gave the Purple Poe a look of utter disbelief, then his red eyes narrowed but before he could say a word, Meg thrust a key into his face.

She made an impatient growl and jabbed the key toward the room they just left then tossed it at the Sheikah. Sheik snatched it out of the air, then turned to give the door of the previous room a hard look.

"Oh. Apparently you guys totally bypassed a key in there. Thanks Meg! What a pain it would have been to have to back track once we ran into a locked door when we have no more keys!" exclaimed the red fairy as she bobbed near Link's head.

"This should not have happened. I let my personal feelings get in the way of my judgment," said Sheik angrily, though Link saw it was for himself, " I apologize Link. I will pay more attention in the future, but thank you Meg for giving it to me…though I have to admit the slap was a bit unnecessary,"

"Why do you keep saying stuff like that? I was in the room to you know and I missed the key as well," said Link.

"It is my job to make sure this sort of situation doesn't happen. I'm supposed to be your guide for Goddess's sake-!" Link quickly stepped closer to him, startling the Sheikah with a glare.

"You know what? Enough of that. I don't see you as my guide, I see you as my partner. Your just as prune to mistakes as I am, and trust me, missing a key every once and a while is not the end of the world. I've lost count of how many times I've proven that," said Link. Sheik stepped back but Link just stepped closer.

"You don't understand! That is my purpose! My destiny-!" Sheik stopped once he realized Link had backed him up against the low wall that one of the torches sat on. The Sheikah immediately put up his hands to rest against Link's chest, firmly making sure he couldn't come any closer.

"Well now its time to make your own destiny!" exclaimed Link then quickly grabbed a hold of Sheik's shoulder and pushed it against the torch once he tried side stepping around Link, "No, we need to settle this right now. Before it escalates into something much worse,"

"It won't escalate because this topic is pointless! You can't just change your destiny! That's why it's called _destiny _because you are born with the duty it calls for! Just as you were born to be the Hero of Twilight I was born to be your guide because the Goddess's didn't wish for you to do this journey alone!" exclaimed Sheik. His heart was racing but he kept himself under control but the fact that Link was leaning half his body weight against him in attempts to keep him in place wasn't helping that cause.

"Bullshit. You've strayed from your supposed path already," said Link. Sheik's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about! I've never strayed from my path!" shouted Sheik.

"Oh really? Then that whole rescue thing back in Ordon didn't happen?" asked Link, then winced slightly when Sheik's fingers suddenly dug into his chest like claws.

"You-how _dare _you! That was for you-!"

"I never said I didn't appreciate it! For both the fact that you saved my family and my life! But wasn't that a bit of a stretch there? Risking this destiny of yours for what? Personal feelings?" said Link, then almost fell over when Sheik suddenly threw his full body weight against Link, easily knocking the Hero off balance. Link wouldn't have any of that though, so with a growl, he gripped the Sheikah's wrist and yanked him down with him, twisting in the air so Sheik landed on the bottom.

"Hey cool it. I didn't mean that in an offensive way but still its something that goes against the whole _keep the Hero safe at all times _theory," said Link, then tightened his grip when Sheik narrowed his eyes, "Hey, if you stop and think about it for a moment, then maybe you can realize that we still got to where we were supposed to go even though we didn't really follow the exact directions. I can promise you though, if you had not helped back in Ordon we wouldn't be here. You would still be trying to drag me out of the forest and possibly all the way to the Sacred Groove and even then, there's no way you would have gotten me to cooperate so we'd be standing there having the same fight over and over until maybe the Skull Kid comes to give his two cents, but the point is that you don't always have to follow the rules. Changing your destiny doesn't always mean you choose not to follow the path it sets for you, it just means you chose the way you walk it," Link was tense throughout his little speech, mainly because Sheik remained silent and refused to keep eye contact but now the Sheikah turned slowly toward him and gave the Hero a long hard look.

_Say something already…Din dame it! How is he able to make me so nervous when I didn't do anything wrong! _

"I…guess you have a point, but I don't agree that you can just disregard your destiny like it's a change of clothing, but I suppose taking a different path in order to make it run smoother it not a negative thing, especially if it leads you to the same goal…now will you get off? Its rather uncomfortable down here on the dirty floor," said Sheik as he pushed up slightly against Link's chest to emphasize his point.

Link hurriedly got to his feet then offered his left hand to the Sheikah, then pulled him to his feet.

"You always seem to resort to crashing me to the floor…" muttered the Sheikah. Link laughed nervously.

"Well, it's the most effective thing that comes to mind when I need to have a talk while not having you run away or kick my ass," said Link as he scratched the back of his head. Sheik rolled his eyes, then started when he heard laughter from behind him.

Meg swayed with her lantern, grinning at the Sheikah while Abby was bobbing near her head. The red fairy quickly sped over to where Sheik was standing and stressed how _cuuttteeeee _that was. Sheik couldn't understand how a fight between Link and himself would be cute but he decided that they had wasted enough time already to ask about it.

"Ok, so where to now oh wise guide of mine?" asked Link, grinning at the Sheikah when he threw a glare at him.

"I would think searching for the next locked door would the best way to proceed oh brave Hero," said Sheik. He had to stop himself from saying the exact line Link had, because the Hero definitely wasn't his.

Link rolled his eyes, then turned and walked toward the right where a door stood over a ledge and up a flight of stairs. Sheik sighed, then glanced upward when Meg hovered right over him.

She just continued to sway with her lantern, but that grin combined with the mischief shining within her glowing eyes definitely didn't seem one bit child like. He didn't like that look she was giving him at all.

She suddenly started to make smooching gestures at him, making the Sheikah gape in disbelief. She then disappeared and reappeared next to Link and started spinning around him, making the Hero laugh. Sheik stomped over to where the Purple Poe was still spinning innocently around Link but as soon as he turned to examine the door he just approached she stopped right behind the Hero smooched at him again. Sheik cursed at her but froze mid step on the stairs when she turned to look at Link then back him, wearing that same grin on her face. She knows, but how!

She smooched at him again but now Sheik knew she was _teasing _him. He lunged at her, but she quickly disappeared with a crackling laugh, making the Sheikah ram right into Link's back.

* * *

For the Zelda fans out there, well i'm basing most of the temples off of Master Quest so thats why it seems so different.


	21. Chapter 21

Wow, finally got it done! Sorry for the wait, but things have been kinda busy lately & i just got my wisdom teeth pulled - yayyy...

But if you guys want, the beginning chapters are starting to be edited by my new beta. Thanx Moonlight Walks for helping me out!

* * *

Link suddenly found himself smashed face first against the door he had previously been examining, but whatever had rammed into him had quickly jumped back.

"What the hell…?" muttered Link as he stepped back from the door and turned to see Sheik shifting nervously behind him, "_Sheik_? What, so your going to smash me into a wall every time you think I'm going through a door now?"

"No! It was an accident! I was…just…never mind. It's not important, let's just move on," said Sheik hurriedly. Link frowned as he watched the Sheikah walk up to the door, opened it and then walked inside after a quick glance around the narrow hallway.

"How did you _accidentally _ram into me?" asked Link once he followed the Sheikah into the hallway.

"I tripped," replied Sheik. Link was about to ask what the hell he was doing beforehand to give him enough momentum to slam him into a door, but a familiar clanking noise suddenly reached his ears. Link tensed before the bones of a Stalfos that sat unnoticed on the floor in front of them suddenly pieced themselves together and formed into the skeletal monster.

It charged at them immediately and Sheik barely had enough time to throw himself in front of Link, unsheathing his short sword along the way, and bring it up to meet the blade that aimed to cleave Link in two. The Stalfos forced them backward, with Link, once again, being smashed against the wall.

Sheik's eyes widened when Link suddenly slide his left arm under his right thigh and with a heave, lifted him off the ground. What was he doing!

"Teleport us to the other side! Now!" Link hissed in his ear. His whole body was shaking with the obvious effort of keeping Sheik in the air. Sheik teleported without a second thought, and they appeared on the other side of the hallway just in time to see the Stalfos swing around before a blast suddenly blew it to pieces.

Link suddenly dropped to the ground, taking Sheik with him. The Hero was sprawled on the ground, leaning his back against the wall for support while Sheik sat pretty much in his lap. The Sheikah quickly swung around, afraid he was hurt, but Link just grinned back.

"Now _that _is how you blow someone's mind," said Link and then took a deep breath. "Man…that was some hard work right there though. Didn't realize you and boney man would be so heavy, but whatever. He got what was coming to him," Link laughed as Sheik just stared at him, but the Sheikah quickly shook his head.

"Why did you…lift me?" asked Sheik.

"Oh, well since I was the one smashed against the wall, _again_, my right hand ended up being caught in between your lower back and my stomach, which definitely didn't feel good. But, I had managed to fish out a bomb from my pouch but you were in the _way _and I certainly couldn't just drop it right there because the boney bastard could have gotten away from it in time. So, I grabbed the closest thing to me with my left hand and lifted you enough so I could throw the bomb in between your legs…okay, that sounded kinda wrong…how 'bout so I could throw the bomb closer to the boney bastard? Yeah, that sounds much better," said Link as he laughed nervously.

Sheik looked up sharply when he heard another familiar laugh. Meg appeared and hovered right above them, then began swaying with her lantern, grinning at Sheik. The Sheikah glared at her, but blinked when she looked down curious for a second then gave a crackling laugh. She spun in the air until she hovered behind Link's back then smooched at him.

Growling, Sheik lunged at her again, but Link, who had been trying to twist around to see what Meg was doing behind his back, unknowingly blocked this attempt and Sheik ended up almost bear hugging Link instead. Sheik looked down at Link's surprised expression, then noticed the position they were in.

The Sheikah leapt to his feet as if he were on fire and then quickly backed away from the bewildered Hero. Abby was looking back at Meg from on top of Link's hat, knowing she had something to do with Sheik's strange behavior, but stayed where she was as Link struggled to his feet.

Meg grinned at Sheik, then turned toward her right and glanced at Link then gave the Sheikah a thumbs-up, then turned and pretended she was making out with her lantern. Sheik made a struggled sound then hurled a dagger at her. She quickly disappeared with a crackling laugh just when Link yelped as the dagger went sailing over his head, narrowly missing Abby, to hit the wall.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" asked Link cautiously as he straightened again. Sheik summoned his dagger back, while cursing the Purple Poe's very existence the entire time.

"_Nothing_," replied Sheik shortly as he stomped past Link. The Hero just shrugged his shoulders and followed the fuming Sheikah. Grumbling, Sheik held a dagger ready then swung the door open, only to have a bucket suddenly hurl something right onto him. Link quickly jumped back to avoid whatever had splashed onto Sheik. He glanced up worried, but then threw a hand over his mouth to stop the laughter that threatened to escape when he finally noticed _what _had splashed onto Sheik.

"This has to be Beth," said Sheik in a deadly calm voice, "I don't know which is worse…having to fight rabid monsters that want to destroy us, or having to deal with those four prankster _menaces _constantly."

Link walked ahead of him then had to summon every ounce of his will power not to bust up laughing at the sight of the Sheikah whose whole top half was now covered in pink paint. He tried to distract himself, and looked back at the door. He noticed that the bucket was held up by a mechanism that was tied by strings that would cause the bucket to splash whoever went through the door first.

"This is absurd! This is going to stain my shawl Din, dammit! Who knows how long before I get a chance to wash it out? What if it doesn't wash out? I am not going into public like this!" exclaimed Sheik as he tried to wipe the paint away from his eyes. Link turned back and couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

_Wow, he may not like feminine remarks thrown at him but its kinda hard not to when he says stuff like that… _

"What? Is something funny Link? Do tell!" exclaimed Sheik as he gave the Hero a dangerous look, but it was slightly hard to take him seriously when the pink paint was all around his face, but the fist that raised toward him quickly changed that. Link quickly put up his hands.

"Hey, I'm just your humble partner. Take it out on the ones that set it up," said Link, then dropped his hands when he noticed a ladder ahead of them, "Just walk it off. I'm sure we'll run into the Poe Sisters eventually, and then you can have your revenge,"

Sheik muttered under his breath, but continued onward. They found themselves climbing up and down a few sets of ladders and after a rather long episode involving large blocks to move, where another fight almost broke out, they ended up climbing the last ladder. Sheik pulled himself up and waited for Link.

"Hey, just a thought but if you're so bothered by the new color of your shawl then why not just take it off?" asked Link when he finally reached the top and pulled himself up. Sheik looked to the side and reached up to touch the material of his shawl. Link tilted his head to the side, waiting for his answer when another memory suddenly flashed before his eyes.

_What the…?_

"It is traditional among my race to hide our identities from everyone but family members or close friends," replied Sheik, and then snapped his head to the right when he heard a flapping noise. A Blue Bubble suddenly came hurtling around the corner but Sheik easily side stepped around it.

"Sheik, don't touch-!" but to his dismay Link saw the Sheikah give a mighty kick that sent the now unlit skull crashing toward the wall. It tried to hop away once it landed back on the ground but Sheik strode after it. Link quickly tried to follow but jumped backed when another Blue Bubble suddenly came flying from around the corner. It snapped at Link, but then flew away toward Sheik when it noticed him approaching its unlit partner.

The Sheikah wasn't worried…until the daggers he had drawn had suddenly slipped from his fingers. His eyes widened when he realized how weak his hands had became. A quick look down and Sheik found he was glowing with a tint of blue…what in the world did those things do to him?

He snapped his head to the left when he noticed the hopping skull suddenly burst into blue flames again and flew back into the air. He quickly backed up, trying to summon his daggers but looked in dismay as they stayed where they were on the ground. Not even his teleporting ability was responding, those things must have cursed him…! He just hoped Link got away since they now had all their attention on the helpless Sheikah.

He tensed, ready to bolt when they gave a rather strange cry then charged, but suddenly something came crashing through the Blue Bubble nearest to him. Sheik quickly ducked as the other skull went flying over his head then darted away. It turned and tried following him, but Sheik suddenly froze when he saw Link point his Clawshot at him.

"Duck!" shouted Link and set his Clawshot flying toward him. Sheik quickly dropped to the floor just before it went sailing over his head and smashed into the Blue Bubble chasing him, then retracted, bringing the now unlit skull back to its wielder. Link proceeded to smash it under his foot as soon as it reached him and then quickly ran to Sheik's side.

"Are you alright?" asked Link as he crouched beside the Sheikah. Sheik nodded, then glanced back at his fallen daggers and tried summoning them again, but they still didn't respond.

"Wait a few minutes until the jinx wears off," said Link. Abby flew off of the top of Link's head and hovered near Sheik.

"Or you could just ask your lovely fairy friend to help you out," said Abby as she hovered over to Link, making sure he saw the pointed look she gave him. Link smiled sheepishly at her.

"Oh yeah, sorry Abby. Didn't realize you could heal jinxes. Would you be so kind and heal my partner here so he can continue to kick ass?" asked Link. Abby rolled her eyes but hovered over to Sheik and circled around him a few times until the blue tint faded. Sheik immediately felt the difference.

Lifting his hands, he clutched them into fists, enjoying the feel of strength back in them now. He summoned his daggers and sighed in relief when they quickly vanished and reappeared in their sheaths.

"Thank you, Abby," said Sheik gratefully then turned to Link, "And thank you Link, you saved my life for once. Are these things a common enemy for you?" Link frowned as he thought about it.

"I only ever faced White Bubbles, and they never had flames. I saw the memory, so I did what my big brother had already done…these memories are appearing more often actually," said Link thoughtfully.

"Memories? Your seeing memories of your past life?" asked Sheik skeptically.

"Yes, it first started happening almost right when I entered this Goddess Forsaken Forest…" muttered Link as he stood up and offered Sheik a hand then pulled him to his feet.

"Well, this was where the Hero of Time had spent his childhood being raised among the Kokiri or so I've heard…Link, be careful. Those are his memories. You'd best not try to seek them out because it will be harder to separate them from your own memories the more you do," said Sheik, then he suddenly remembered something, "What of my map? Did it prove useful?"

"Oh yeah!" said Link as he pulled out the map, "At first, I was really disappointed but then I saw that it can update itself! And it even has this area now to!" Link looked over the map and noticed the familiar setup it shared with the maps he used to use.

_It still shows the entire dungeon, even though we've haven't been in most of the rooms yet and even highlights the room we are in right now. To bad it doesn't work like the compass as well…it would be nice to know if there are any items to pick up in this place._

"Perhaps we should check out these chests? Even a few rupees could prove useful later," said Sheik as he leaned over and glanced over his map. Link gave him a confused look, and then squinted down at the map trying to see these chests.

"What chests? I don't see any chests, I don't see anything but the layout of the temple," said Link then looked back up at Sheik when he chuckled.

"He's brilliant. It seems anything of value is hidden from plain view, but I'm able to see it because my eyes can see the truth," said Sheik. Link rolled his eyes.

"Yay for you. Why don't you use those eyes of yours to see if there are any monsters in the next room?" asked Link.

"All I can see are chests…and different colored spots. I don't know what those are, and I don't see any kind of key to tell us," said Sheik. Link sighed and then glanced back at the map.

"Well, it seems that there's a room that goes straight to a lower level after this one," said Link. He looked up and yelped when he suddenly saw Joelle hovering right over Sheik's head, "Good Goddess! Don't do that!"

The Sheikah glanced up and frowned at the Red Poe.

"I swear, you best not be here to witness one of your dangerous pranks unfold, because that last one could have killed us! Now what is it?" asked Sheik sharply. Joelle just rolled her glowing eyes, then hovered over to the door and went right through it.

"Well, let's go. Hopefully the only reason Joelle came here is not only just to scare the shit out of me," said Link. He walked forward then stopped just before the door when he noticed an eye switch sitting above it.

"It must be some kind of switch. Should I trigger it?" asked Sheik as he walked up beside Link.

"I don't think so. Joelle may like to mess with us but I doubt she would hinder us purposely, so she would have told us to trigger it before going through," said Link. Abby decided she would much rather sit on Link's head then waste energy hovering in the air as her traveling partners discussed how to proceed through the obvious course of action ahead.

"They've hindered you in your first life," said Sheik lowly. Link frowned at him.

"That was hundreds of years ago and you heard Abby. Ganon had to force them to oppose my Big Brother! They are nothing but tricky guardians now, so just drop it," said Link, then gestured for Sheik to go forward already. So with a huff, Sheik strode forward then unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Link was about to follow before the Sheikah came diving back through the doorway and crashed into him, causing them both to fall over. Link immediately heard something make an impact on the walls beside the door from the other side of the room.

"Huh, for once I'm on the bottom…wow, where are all these dirty jokes coming from?" muttered Link. Sheik seemed to be too distracted to hear him though.

"What is wrong with her? That was this close from impaling me! Good Goddess! They'll probably kill us before we even reach the damn medallion!" shouted the frustrated Sheikah. His red eyes were narrowed as he glared back at the spiked log that now blocked much of the doorway. Link couldn't help but notice that he really didn't weight that much at all.

_How can he kick so much ass when he doesn't even weigh more then half of what we've fought so far?_

Wanting to test his theory, he immediately threw his left arm around the now startled Sheikah's back and rolled so he was now on top. Climbing to his feet, he brought the struggling Sheikah with him. He eventually held Sheik up only with his left arm and it wasn't that strenuous at all.

"W-what are you doing…?" asked Sheik.

"Trying to figure out how someone that weights probably not more then eighty or ninety pounds can be so…impressive? Strong? Diligent? Don't know, take your pick," said Link thoughtfully. He was quickly distracted when Sheik suddenly leaned forward, so he was resting his upper body against his left shoulder while his head disappeared from view.

_Wow, after all that traveling, he still smells of pine and water… _

Sheik was having his own problems now, and tried leaning forward so he could hide his flustered face, since the small part of his face that wasn't covered was pretty much right near Link's face. He was about to teleport away but suddenly tensed once he noticed Meg just hovering near the ceiling. He didn't even sense her!

She looked irritated for once. Like she just couldn't believe what she just saw and proceeded to make wild and angry gestures as her purple flame seemed to crackle wildly with her as if it agreed.

"Huh?" asked Abby, making Sheik start as she sat near his face from on top of Link's head, "What do you mean he missed his chance? His chance for what?"

Meg just pulled at her nonexistent hair then after pointing at Sheik she then hovered down from the ceiling and disappeared through the wall next to the blocked doorway.

"Well, that was weird," muttered Link.

"She will succeed? With what? I don't get it. What's going on between you and Meg Sheik?" asked Abby as she faced him, "She won't answer me," The Sheikah just glared at where the Purple Poe was last.

"She's a crazed four hundred year old ghost, how am I supposed to know what's going on in that head?" grumbled Sheik, then leaned back to look down at Link, "Are you done with examining your theory yet?

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Link, then quickly dropped him, "Sorry…about that…" Sheik stepped back.

"You could have just asked," said Sheik as he approached the blocked doorway.

"What? And get killed? I don't think so, especially with how you reacted after getting a new color arrangement," said Link. Sheik rolled his eyes, though Link only saw the slight motion from his head from behind him.

"So that little charade you did was the remedy for that?" asked Sheik as he turned to face him.

"Well, I figured of the two choices, this was the one that I had the best chance of talking my way out of it should you have gotten mad," said Link. Sheik ran his hand down his face and sighed.

"Forget it. I'll be here forever if I try to understand your logic. I don't trust climbing over that so I'll just teleport us I guess," muttered the Sheikah as he turned back to glance at the spiked log blocking the doorway.

Link suddenly found himself on the other side of the spiked log. Looking back he saw that it blocked the entire doorway so they couldn't have stepped around it like they had the last one.

_Damn, Joelle's getting smarter._

Link thought it was pretty fun having this whole prank thing happening during their dangerous quest but then again…it was actually Sheik who was taking all the hits, not to mention that his sword arm was on the line here if they didn't get this done right, so maybe he didn't like it as much as he thought…

"Link?" asked Sheik from ahead of him. Link shook his head then followed the Sheikah that now turned and walked down the long hallway aligned with red carpet. Sheik stopped at the end and scanned the room as Link strode forward to catch up.

The Hero just happened to glance up when he was almost halfway through the red carpeted hallway and stiffened when he saw a shadow below Sheik. A shadow much too large to be his own. Another memory flashed before his eyes and dread suddenly filled every vein in his body.

_Oh my Goddess…! _

Link gasped before bolting toward the Sheikah when the shadow below him started to grow bigger. Sheik spun around when he heard Link's gasp but suddenly was tackled clear off the ledge he was standing on. They both fell straight toward a hole in the ground until they passed through it and finally hit the ground with a thud.

"Oh Goddess…my back. What was that for?" exclaimed the Sheikah as he struggled to catch his breath.

"It-it was…it ah, was hiding in the shadows-!" exclaimed Link but couldn't get a full sentence out.

_Damn, Big Brother has some serious issues with these guys…! The memory was jam packed with his fear of them and now it's screwing with my mind…_

"Link, what are you talking about?" asked Sheik sharply. Link leaned on his left elbow as he tried to calm down. He just noticed that he had luckily missed injuring his right arm since he had wrapped it around the Sheikah's neck once he had tackled him.

"It um, was something in the shadows…of the ceiling, but the memory was too shaky for me to see what it was…and it just _drops _and, um it looked somewhat like…" Link glanced up trying to piece together a clear image of what he saw in the memory but something suddenly caught his eye, making him stiffen again, "_That_!"

Sheik registered what Link had said just about the same time something ripped him from on top of the Sheikah and started to drag him away. Sheik jumped to his feet as Link let out a fearful scream but before the Sheikah could even take a step, the whole area around Link suddenly exploded into flames.

"Link!" shouted Sheik as he ran franticly toward the flames. They died down as soon as he reached them and he skidded to a halt then dropped by the hunching Hero's side.

"Good Goddess, Link! Are you alright?" ask Sheik as he immediately started to scan his body for any injuries. Link nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment. Sheik noticed long cuts running down both of Link's arms and upper outer thighs, but they didn't look to deep. He guessed they were the result of being dragged away by a giant _hand _with ridiculously long and sharp finger nails. Can this place get any weirder?

"Just a few scratches," said Link suddenly. He then put his hand over his heart, "Thank you, Valor…but I have a feeling that isn't its only purpose here,"

"It?" asked Sheik as he pulled out some of the bandages to clean Link's minor wounds, "You wouldn't happen to have any more water, would you?"

Link nodded then reached into his pouch and pulled out a bottle of water, "I always have at least one bottle of water and potion on me before I go anywhere. Because, of course, I couldn't just breeze through a temple without almost getting eaten or stabbed and I'm always thirsty at the most inconvenient of times. A force of habit that I couldn't drop for the longest time but now it isn't such a bad thing. Oh, and I never showed you what Valor gave me, huh?" Link then pulled the diamond case out of his pouch and held it out for the Sheikah to see.

"It's called Din's Fire. I wasn't used to using it…which is why I haven't used it yet because I kinda forgot about it. It's pretty clear that my Big Brother was used to using it though…it seemed like I was suddenly feeling someone else's fear, which obviously was my Big Brother's but this fear also gave me the sudden urge to incinerate that…hand." said Link as he gazed down at the fire spell, then he looked back up at Sheik when he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Which isn't a good thing, Link. That means you were reacting with _his _instincts!" exclaimed Sheik.

"Hey, those _instincts _just saved our lives!" shouted Link.

"No, they merely have made it worse!" shouted Sheik.

"What? Made what worse?" exclaimed Link.

"_You_!" shouted Sheik. Link just starred at him for a moment.

"You may not realize it now, but you are losing yourself! _You _are the Hero of this time! _You _vanquished the False King of Twilight and _you _defeated Ganondorf this time! _Not _your Big Brother, but the more you rely on _his _instincts the more the line that separates you both will start to disappear!" shouted Sheik, and then took a deep breath to steady himself. "Link, look. I'm not saying not to learn from him, or even to completely ignore these memories because I'm sure that isn't possible. There will always be something that made a big impact on him and it will always trigger a memory when you see it, but that is fine as long as you _don't seek them out_. If a situation occurs that suddenly urges foreign instincts then ignore them and, I can't believe I'm supporting this, but proceed like you normally would. If you had just warned me of this hand or whatever it was, then I merely would have teleported out of the way then we would have proceeded to utterly destroy it like everything in this temple,"

Link covered his face with his hands, trying to let it all sink in.

_Has it really gotten this bad? I'm myself. But, if I'm relying on my Big Brother to help all the time, then it's not me who's the Hero anymore, is it?_

Link dropped his hands and looked up at Sheik. His red eyes gazed back at him as he awaited a reply. He was always so patient and strong, like nothing could faze him…well, almost nothing. But, he still possessed an inner strength that, in Link's opinion, was much out of his league. He was inexperienced but seemed wise beyond his years, and always knew just what to say sometimes.

_Nothing like me…always bumbling around, making a mess of things. Maybe being more like my Big Brother isn't such a bad thing…_

"Alright, I understand. Thanks for being you," said Link then smiled gratefully at him. Sheik blinked, surprised that he didn't have to convince the normally stubborn Hero to see reason, but stood once Link did. He watched the Hero walk over to the door then turn and wait for him. No arguments? No Excuses? Didn't he hear a word he just said?

"Link…" but Link just waved for him to hurry.

"Come on! We've wasted enough time, let's go," said Link. Sheik frowned, but strode toward the door, glancing down at Link's cuts as he passed to make sure they hadn't started to bleed again. As he reached the door, he suddenly thought of something. He quickly turned to face Link, who in turn gave him a puzzled look.

"Why didn't Abby heal your cuts? Or warn us of that hand thing in the first place. Surely she would know about it if she spent time with the Poe Sister's," said Sheik, then looked around Link to ask the fairy herself but didn't spot her, "Abby?"

Link spun around, looking all over the room but didn't spot her as well.

"Abby!" shouted Link, but she was no where to be seen.

Sheik walked up and looked up at the opening in the ceiling, "She might still be in that room, I'll go check, but you wait here. I don't think those hands will come down here," said Sheik, then he teleported away.

Link was torn between being pissed and worried. He hated having to wait while Sheik went off to do what he considered his job. Especially if the reason he was going was Link's fault to begin with, but what if something happens up there? What could he do but stand here helpless as one of those hand things strangles him? There wasn't any way up there from his view point. No Clawshot targets, no ladder, no nothing! Din dammit all!

Sheik appeared right where Link had tackled him to the ground, but quickly jumped off the edge and landed gracefully next the wall to the right of it. He immediately started looking for the red fairy, but always kept moving. He noticed the gold and blue chest but that was not his first priority right now.

After a few minutes, he was certain Abby was not in the room they had missed, so he teleported back up to the ledge where he had jumped from and backtracked into the long red carpeted hallway. A screech suddenly made him jump out of his skin and quickly spun around, a dagger posed ready to throw, but he stiffened when he saw Meg hovering near the ceiling to the left of him.

She flew right past him and dropped her lantern on the floor once she reached the middle of the hallway. Sheik stepped closer and gasped when he realized Meg was fussing over Abby, who's light was dangerously dim as she laid on the floor.

"Abby?" asked Sheik softy, he crouched and picked her up gently as Meg picked up her lantern and hovered over to his shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I…don't know…it's…like my power…is…fading. I heard…rumors… that the…lesser…fairies were getting…sick…but…I…." said Abby softly, but Sheik shushed her and turned to Meg, who was looking worried at the fading ball of light in his hand.

"Meg, take her to Woody, alright? He'll help her," said Sheik, hoping the Purple Poe would listen to him. She didn't hesitate at all, just thrust her free hand out and impatiently gestured for Sheik to hand her over. He gently laid her in Meg's palm and the Purple Poe immediately spun and disappeared.

Sheik sighed, running a hand down his face. This was just getting worse and worse. What could possibly be killing all the fairies? Red Fairies were supposed to be one of the stronger kinds of fairies, like right under the Great Fairies and even the Fairy Queen herself.

He didn't understand what was going on, but he needed to get back before Link tries to be heroic without him around, so he turned and strode back the way he came.

Link started when Sheik suddenly dropped from the hole in the ceiling.

"Finally! What happened? Where's Abby? Did you get attacked? The Poe Sisters didn't mess you did they? What-" But Sheik quickly covered his mouth.

"Link, Good Nayru, I wasn't gone for more then ten minutes and no, nothing attacked me," said Sheik, then he lowered his hands, "But Abby…something's wrong with her. I had Meg take her to Woody, he should be able to help her, but I don't think she'll be able to help us anymore. I don't think any fairy will be actually. It seems to be affecting all fairies-" he suddenly stopped and his eyes widened when he realized something.

Link was bewildered when Sheik began to frantically search in the folds of his suit.

_All the fairies are being affected…? What if…what if I can't get this quest done in time? Will the fairy race just cease to exist…?_

Sheik finally pulled out a bottle and lifted it up to his eye level and looked within.

"No…" said Sheik softly. Link looked within to see the fairy they had caught before they had entered the temple, but she lay motionless on the bottom of the bottle, her light completely gone.

"She could have been alive…when I gave Abby to Meg…I-I could have at lest taken her out-!" but Link quickly grabbed a hold of his shoulders to face him.

"She could have been dead for awhile Sheik but that's not your fault, you understand me?" said Link. Sheik gripped the bottle as if it were a life line. He looked back down at the motionless fairy.

"She could have been calling for help…and I wouldn't have heard her. If this hadn't happened to Abby…she might have been in there for days…" whispered Sheik miserably. Link sighed, then pried Sheik's hands from the bottle and held it with his right hand. He pulled the Sheikah into a one armed hug.

"There was no way we could have known, alright? The fairies around this place were all fine when we came here and there wasn't anything that told us otherwise so, don't be so hard on yourself ok? We'll bury her outside when were done," said Link as he put the bottle gently in his pouch.

Sheik laid his head against his chest. That fairy was supposed to be there when they needed help; most weren't even bothered that they were normally put in bottles. Some preferred it, not wanting to be near the monsters their charges were battling, but she had spent her last moments trapped in a bottle. He couldn't even imagine finally meeting death like that…trapped in darkness and completely alone…

Sheik finally stepped back, taking a shaky breath. He would simply make sure this ended soon. This was unforgivable. Fairies have never done anything but give aid to those in need, and he had a bad feeling that short man in purple had something to do with this.

"I'm fine. Let's get this temple over with. The sooner Saria's power is restored, the better," said Sheik firmly. Link nodded, smirking at him.

"Alright. Finally, an initiative to get reckless! And you can't say jack this time 'cause getting reckless means going faster which is what _you _just said is better!" exclaimed Link as he punched the air. Sheik shook his head, but secretly smiled, glad that Link was back to his old reckless self.

"Oh, and I got this on the way down," said Sheik, then pulled out a gold key with a red gem in the top. Link didn't need the memory that flashed before him to know that was the boss key, because the key that went to a boss's room just _has _to be just as flashy as the boss itself. Having a simple key for a boss's room was just unheard of.

"Awesome, now we can reach the boss, but don't we have to finish the rest of the dungeon? I've never had the boss key this early in the dungeon before," said Link.

"I'm sure there is a catch to having it so early, but we will have to find out as we go," said Sheik. He rolled his eyes as Link gave him a thumbs-up, then walked up the small set of stairs and went through the door.

The atmosphere between them was tense, but not uncomfortable. It did cause them to overreact about many things. Such as why Link just can't seem to get that he has to stay _away _from near death falls, even if it _is _necessary to jump from balcony to balcony, or that there was _no _difference if Sheik was to teleport in a mass of monsters verse if he tried to ambush them from above.

They went through the rest of the temple with little hindrance, though Sheik did get one last prank from Beth involving a hidden pit filled with perfume that made him now smell like roses and vanilla. He had been _this _close to all but destroying her, but he amazingly found as he was climbing out of the pit that he somehow forgot that he could teleport out of that Link was already doing it for him.

After the ten minute shouting spree from the Hero, Sheik amusingly found that Beth wouldn't go anywhere near him now. Huh, Link could be really intimidating when he wants to be.

They finally made it to a room with a raised ledge on the right and a large picture frame to the left.

"That was one of the biggest bullshit moments of my life. How was I supposed to know the damn ceiling would fall on us? And what's with the checkered look? Is that supposed to confuse us before we die from being crushed by it?" said Link irritably. Sheik was torn from laughing and growling.

He had to admit it was pretty funny watching the Hero eat his words _right _after he'd said that this temple couldn't get any weirder, and then have it's ceiling come hurling down on him, only to have it raise back up to do it again. But _he _still was the one that had to fight his way past six Skulltula's that dropped from the pitch black holes of the repeatedly falling ceiling to reach him in time. Because the Hero, true to his word, had recklessly charged into the area when he saw the first Skulltula, but didn't bother looking to see if there were any more. Which is why he had to haul ass over to the panicking Hero to teleport them away.

He didn't know why he didn't just teleport straight to him, oh that's right, because the Skulltula's that Link _ran _past had ambushed him when he had been but two steps away from Link. Then, of course, the Hero had the nerve to say that _at least he killed one of them before teleporting away_. Oh good, just five others that now have disappeared in the pitch blank holes of the repeatedly falling ceiling.

"That whole mess could have been avoided, you know. Oh don't you even," said Sheik as Link opened his mouth to argue, "We could have just triggered the ceiling to fall, shot all the Skulltula's down then proceeded through the door without even fighting them, but no, you just had to make it more complicated," They both spun toward the picture frame when an image suddenly appeared. Link saw the memory of his big brother shooting this picture of Amy with his bow but…he's sure a dagger would work the same way, just as it did for Beth and Joelle.

Now _those _fights had been pretty fun in Link's opinion, though Beth wasn't nearly as tough as she could have been. He figured she was still scared shitless of angering Sheik which, as Link had warned earlier, _would cause her eternal life to end with a bang_. He really hadn't meant to scare her but jeez, give the guy a break.

"Time to get crackin'," said Link as he smirked at Sheik. The Sheikah just rolled his eyes then hurled a dagger at the picture, causing Amy to materialize from the picture with a crackling laugh.

"Alright! We haven't seen you around…Amy was it? Yeah! Let's see what you got!" exclaimed Link. Sheik stood ready to attack by his side, rather enjoying the dueling as well, because for once, they weren't fighting for their lives.

Amy just laughed and then with a snap of her fingers, four blocks fell from the ceiling in front of them. Seeing what they were, Link pointed to them in disbelief.

"What? _A puzzle_? Oh come on! Puzzles are lame! Let's do something more exciting for once," said Link. Sheik straightened to glare at Link just as Amy gave an angry growl. Then with another snap of her fingers, the four piece puzzle suddenly turned into a thousand piece jig saw puzzle, with many pieces hitting Link in the face.

Link gawked at the mass of pieces littering the ground.

"F this. I'm not doing it. I've had enough of _puzzles _to last me a life time," muttered Link. Sheik put his weapons away then folded his arms as he faced Link.

"We do need her green flame, which looks like we won't _get _if you don't do this puzzle. So, hopefully the world won't get _too _angry with you when it becomes devoured by its own shadow…" said Sheik neutrally. Link groaned, remembering that Joelle had hinted that they needed all four different colored flames each Poe Sister possessed to make the dais in the torch room rise.

"Oh man…I was just kidding Amy! Puzzles are awesome! Now why don't you change it back to that other one? The smaller one, huh?" asked Link. Amy glared down at him, and then with another snap of her fingers, a ticking sound suddenly filled the room.

"It seems you have a time limit," said Sheik as he walked over to the raised ledge then sat down. Link stared at him for a moment.

"What? You're not going to help me? But it will take twice as long!" exclaimed Link. Sheik merely took out one of his daggers and a cloth and started to polish it.

"A situation that wouldn't have occurred if you hadn't been so rude. You got yourself into this mess, you can get yourself out," said Sheik without even looking up at him. "And you'd best hop to it; the ticking sound is getting faster, which means you're running out of time."

"_Oh give me a break_!" Exclaimed Link as he sprinted to the middle of the mass of puzzle pieces and dropped to his knees, then tried to hurriedly sort them out.

The purple clothed man awoke slowly and then sat up rubbing his head.

"Oh, the triumphant awakens. Mind telling me why you suddenly were sent flying clear across my library to hit a very old and now ruined cabinet hutch?" asked the Hooded Man, never looking up from the tome he was reading.

The purple clothed man just glared at him before getting to his feet and slowly walked over to the couch sitting in front of the hooded man and collapsed in it.

"That son of a…he must have someone helping him. He must! There's no way he can just get that much power! And then just hurl it at me like it's an every day thing! Who could be helping him? Who has that much freaking power?" exclaimed the purple clothed man, trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was recently sucker punched from afar.

"What _are _you talking about?" drawled the Hooded Man as he finally looked up from his tome.

"Everything was going just fine. Then, something changed…like the person I was attacking suddenly became someone else. A simple shifting spell could have switched the pull of my power to someone else but after they died, I would have just went back to attacking the Hero but this new person had…godlike power, which is ridiculous! Only I have that kind of power! And you, I _suppose_, but still…I know it wasn't you that suddenly opposed me so, who was it?" growled the purple clothed man. The hooded man sighed, then put his heavy tome down and faced him.

"So basically you _don't _know what happened? How disappointing, I guess I'll just tell you then. I never guessed she would risk herself like that but I underestimated her…oh well. Now I know that she considers him more then just a vessel, even though he's been reborn, what, six times or something? He obviously isn't the same person. Whatever, if she wants to give herself another weak point for me to hit then by all means…be my guest, oh Goddess of Wind," said the Hooded Man as he smirked up toward the ceiling as if he were addressing the Goddess herself.

"Another weak point for you to hit…are you telling me your attacking Farore herself?" asked the purple clothed man skeptically.

"Why yes, yes I am. And as soon as she can no long spare any power for the cycle of life, then I will attack her sister next. With Wisdom comes experience and the knowledge to destroy a world or create a new one. That was always your mistake. You always tried taking the world with nothing but your own shadow magic, but as you can tell, it's not enough. Not only would every Hero beat you down, but even if you somehow managed to succeed, well, your power would never support a thriving world because it needs both darkness _and _light," said the Hooded Man. He leaned forward onto the table that separated his seat from the couch, crossed his fingers and laid his head on top of them.

"Do you know that the Hero's bloodline houses a recycled power?" asked the Hooded Man. The purple clothed man shook his head, his voice not really working properly now. It's not like he was afraid of the devious bastard or anything, but before he was just the guy who had freed him from his enchanted sword prison. Then he had used that to his advantage by blackmailing him with the fact that he could easily break his own seal, which would cause the sword to suck him back inside itself. The only reason the Princess of Hyrule didn't know that he was free was because of this seal the devious bastard had placed on it, easily masking his absence.

Now, he was the guy that was attacking a freaking Goddess….and succeeding. This in fact, made him hate the bastard even more, but he couldn't help but give an extremely small amount of respect toward the guy. He really needed to get his behind in gear if he wanted to stand up to his level, heck, what's he saying? He'll just steal his power later, once he's done all the work.

"Even if we succeed, they will always be a thorn in our side because they will be reborn and oppose us later. So to remedy that, we simply need to cut the roots of the tree instead of the branches," said the hooded man. The purple clothed man leaned forward now. This was a useful piece of information. It was possible to destroy the power of the Great Hero?

"Now, cutting the line doesn't mean that the Hero's will cease to exist. It just means they will be no different from the ordinary men that they had once defended. And this will be their destruction for it will not matter how many times they will be reborn because once they have lost the core of their power. Then they will no longer be a threat to us anymore," said the Hooded Man. He looked up at the window and noticed the sun setting, "Oh dear me, I'm late for dinner. Well, I shall see you tomorrow then," he then got up and strode toward the door.

"What? That's it? Your just going to tell me that its possible to defeat the Great Hero's and insure a way that they'll never oppose us again but leave and not tell me how?" exclaimed the purple clothed man. The Hooded Man rolled his eyes.

"Of course not," said the Hooded Man, then he picked up the tome he was reading earlier. Then he warped away.

The purple clothed man just stared at where he left before finally just exploding with a string of curses. He stood up and stomped over to a random shelf and pulled out a book. Well, maybe something in this wretched place will give him a clue as to what this guy was planning…

"Oh, and I almost forgot," said the Hooded Man as he warped back into the room, making the purple clothed man yelp and drop the book he was reading. He quickly picked it back up, glaring at the other man as he did.

"Good Lord, can you _not _wreck my things? Most of everything in the library is very ancient and rather priceless so _don't mess with anything_. But anyway, I almost forgot to tell you that the Hero is probably halfway done with the Forest Temple by now so you'd best make sure whatever you sent there is ready to take them," said the Hooded Man, then he warped away again.

The purple clothed man purposely jammed the book back into place then stomped up to the balcony. He actually hadn't sent anything yet but there's no way he'd tell him that.

"_What_?" exclaimed Link for the twentieth time that evening as the pieces all reset themselves, "I was _this _close! Oh come on, I've said I'm sorry a million times so can't we just call it a draw?" exclaimed Link as pieces flew around him, as if just to taunt him.

Sheik was really amused this entire hour and a half. He had already polished his whole set of knives, his short sword and even some of Link's equipment when the Hero had tried using them in attempts to make it easier on himself. This he found out that most of what he had actually made it worse. Especially once he either blew the pieces in random directions with his Gale Boomerang or broke them with his Clawshot, with a curse following each failure. So, he would just drop them in random places around the room as he hurried to finish what he now called the _Puzzle From Hell_. And just to piss him off more, Amy would change the image on the puzzle pretty often after Link would fail time after time.

Amy had always just ignored Link or made rude gestures to him when he tried to talk her out of making him do this but Sheik was almost ready to jump in there with the extremely frustrated Hero, because they did have a destiny to fulfill, almost. He wouldn't mind another maybe ten minutes of Link cursing up a storm as he failed yet again to finish the middle of a castle or the end of a jungle scenery.

Meg suddenly appeared and floated right up to her sister. Link didn't notice, as he was sprinting around the room looking for…the end of a bloated green puffer fish? Wow, Amy really was getting creative. Sheik watched the sisters talk…or sign? He didn't know how they communicated but suddenly Amy looked worried, making Sheik tense.

Amy suddenly snapped her fingers and the puzzle vanished, making Link stop mid step. Then the sisters gestured for them to follow and disappeared through the door behind Sheik. Sheik quickly stood up as Link joined him. He took out a bottle of water took a swig as he walked toward the door.

"Man…I just _love _Meg now. She is the only one that hasn't messed with us," said Link as they walked down the hallway. Sheik grumbled as they approached the door.

"The only one that hasn't messed with _you_…" muttered Sheik.

"What?" Link asked as they entered the next room.

"Nothing," said Sheik then they walked to the balcony ahead of them and noticed they were back in the torch room.

The Poe Sisters all were huddled in the middle but quickly separated once they noticed them and each went to a different torch and lit it. With each torch burning with a different color, the dais suddenly rose from the ground.

Sheik placed a hand on Link's shoulder and teleported right next to it. Link grinned then hopped on the dais but it suddenly started to sink rather rapidly, so Sheik had to dive in on it before it disappeared from view.

Unfortunately, the dais was already a tight squeeze for one person, so Sheik pretty much dived right onto Link and couldn't jump back because now there wasn't enough room.

"Sorry! Didn't know it would drop so suddenly like that," said Link, then he leaned his back against one of the polls of the dais and put an arm around Sheik's shoulders, "There, still a tight squeeze but you can stand now,"

Not really…he still had to be pressed up against him otherwise he'd be scarping against the wall as it went down. Really, who was the idiot that designed this thing?

"Don't kill me for saying this but, I think vanilla suits you, definitely not roses though. Just a little too girly for me," muttered Link against his ear. Sheik's face went beet red. _Good Nayru_… right when he had settled himself down he just had to go and say something like that didn't he?…But what did he mean it was to girly for _him_? He was the one that was drenched in the damn smell.

The dais reached the bottom room and Sheik immediately leapt out of it before it even touched the ground. The Poe Sisters suddenly flew in opposite directions, but Sheik saw Joelle behind the bars that blocked the entrance to a particular room, until she spun around and hit the switch near the bars with her red fire.

The bars on the opposite side of the dais suddenly lifted to reveal the hallway that lead to the locked boss door just when the other three sisters rejoined them. Humm….they must have done this puzzle for us, but why? When they had made us do this entire temple ourselves? Something was wrong, and if that was bothering the Poe Sisters as well, then they definitely had a hell of a battle ahead.

They flew toward the locked door and impatiently waved for them to follow.

"What the heck? They'll make us do this whole Goddess forsaken place by ourselves but then turn around and do the last puzzle for us?" muttered Link as they walked down the blue carpeted hallway.

"Is Abby alright Meg?" asked Sheik. The Purple Poe turned and sadly gestured that she didn't know. She then spun around and rejoined her sisters that were leading the way.

"Something isn't right Link…be on your guard. Something must have provoked the sudden shift in attitude of The Poe Sisters…," muttered Sheik as they approached the Boss Door. Sheik took out the boss key, but Link pouted at him.

"What?" Sheik asked as he looked back at the pouting Hero, his hand hovering over the lock.

"I wanted to open the door…," whined Link. Sheik rolled his eyes, muttering about him being such a baby, but handed over the boss key.

Link grinned and then posed as he stabbed the key in the lock and twisted. The door lifted once the lock fell to the ground. Sheik laughed softly as Link bounded inside like an excited child in a toy store. He quickly followed the Hero as he climbed a set of stairs, skipping two or three steps at a time.

Meg hovered closer to him as they reached the arena, but nothing stood waiting for them. Link skidded to a halt near the middle of the arena, looking around the room for anything suspicious. Sheik stood just out of the arena, where the roped in arena's small opening was, also looking for anything that posed a threat. But the room was empty.

"How lame is this? After all that, there ends up being nothing here! This isn't some kind of prank your all pulling on us is it?" exclaimed Link as he spun the face the Poe Sisters, who immediately started gesturing that they had nothing to do with this.

Sheik frowned and turned when Meg giggled from behind him. She grinned, then hovered in front of him and once Link turned to scan the area again, she formed her purple flame into a heart and positioned it so Sheik would be looking through it to see Link.

He cursed at her. This really wasn't the time to be pissing him off…

A menacing laugh suddenly filled the room, making everyone tense. Sheik immediately darted toward Link, but suddenly smashed into something. Stumbling back, the dazed Sheikah then saw the invisible barrier that had suddenly sprung up around the arena. Dread filled him when he raced back toward the opening but frantically found that it firmly kept him out of the arena.

"Meg! This isn't funny!" shouted the Sheikah but once he spun around to glare at her, she started to frantically gesture that she wasn't doing it. He tried to teleport inside but it wouldn't allow that either.

"Link! Link, come back! Something's blocking me from entering the arena!" shouted Sheik. Link spun to face him, a bewildered look on his face, but he raced toward him but ran into the barrier as well.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? An impatient hero, a naive guide, and a useless group of ghosts…huh, not even trying to be intimidating are we?" drawled a voice that came from everywhere. Link spun around and growled.

"Why don't you come over here so I can pound the vanity right out of you, you little tyrant?" shouted Link. The endless voice humphed.

"You couldn't defeat me even if you weren't injured, but you'll be dead before you leave this room, but let's just put all these rumors to rest, hm? Let's see how strong the Great Hero _really _is," said the endless voice.

"Link, be careful! I feel dark energy building in this room!" exclaimed Sheik from right behind him. Sheik tried bashing his weapons, and even his hands against the barrier, but it wouldn't budge.

Link was hurriedly looking around the room for an unseen enemy, but the endless voice suddenly laughed again.

"Now this is entertainment! And it's just going to get better! Now, since you've made it through this temple, I'm sure these useless ghosts have tried throwing a few pranks your way? Seemingly innocent right? Well, did you all know that many actually haven't survived your pranks before?" asked the endless voice.

Sheik noticed the Poe Sisters suddenly look down at the floor. This obviously wasn't something that they were proud of.

"But I _must _thank you for the generous amount of angry souls that littered this forest. You'd be surprised how many of them just _hated _it when I so much as breathed any of your names…" said the endless voice.

"Hey! Shut up already! They aren't bad people! They've just done some bad things! Now get your little purple ass over here and stop wasting my time with your stupid monologues!" shouted Link.

"You-how dare you? You will suffer my wrath mortal! But…actually I have a much better idea. Since you're so _fond _of your ghostly friends, then maybe you can try and get some sympathy from all those angry souls that _hate _them!" exclaimed the endless voice menacingly.

Suddenly the dark magic crackled within the room and started to gather in the middle. Screaming souls flowed from the walls and entered the core forming at the center. The Poe Sisters all huddled together behind Sheik and watched fearfully as the core grew bigger.

Sheik tried everything he could think of but the barrier firmly kept him at arms reach from Link. The Hero turned and gave him a nervous smile.

"Hey, don't freak out Sheik. I got this ok? Just cheer me on," said Link, then turned back and strode toward his newly formed enemy, unsheathing the Master Sword as he went.

"Link! No! It's too dangerous!" shouted Sheik, but all he could do was pound desperately on the barrier. "_Din damn it!" _


	22. Chapter 22

Link stood before his new enemy as he clutched the hilt of the Master Sword. He had already fought some pretty gnarly boss's in his time. Some of them just plain creepy, but he was extremely grateful for them now. Because he was sure those experiences were the only reason this guy probably didn't make him freak out by the pure malice and misery that radiated off it's body.

"Since you are _supposed _to be the Great Hero. Then you should be able to hold your own in this fight, regardless of an injury, so that means your shadow walker friend can't help you!" exclaimed the endless voice with excitement, "Now face Moros! The mighty spirit of Doo-!" But suddenly the voice cut off.

Moros screeched, raising it's huge scythe high in the air. A long curved blade stood threateningly on one end while a lantern that crackled with crimson fire stood on the other. It's face was shrouded in darkness, but it's blazing red eyes shone out easily. It's whole body was covered with a long black cloak but it's shadow-like hands gripped the scythe tightly as it continued to screech.

It looked to Link like a very creepy version of the Poe's he'd fought at the Arbiter's Grounds.

It suddenly hurled it's scythe at him, and Link barely had enough time to throw himself out of the way before it hit the spot where he was last. Before he could even straighten, he found that the huge Poe like monster was charging at him with it's scythe swinging wildly. He sprinted away from the wild thrashing of Moros.

_What the hell! How did he get his scythe so fast?_

"Link! He can summon his weapon back to him, so please don't be reckless!" shouted Sheik from the other side of the barrier. Link quickly rolled out of the way once Moros swung it's scythe upward and then crashed it to the ground. Seeing an opening, Link stabs at the huge Poe when it tries to yank its scythe from the ground.

Screaming in pain, Moros threw it's body to the side to avoid Link's wild stab's and continued to fly around the handle while Link chased after it while still trying to free it's scythe from the ground. With one last pull from Moros, the scythe finally lift's from the ground and with a growl, the Poe quickly hovers high in the air.

Link quickly backs up, and stood ready to bolt should any sharp projectiles come hurling toward him. Moros then laughed, the sound sending chills down Link's back. Moros spun it's scythe, then the end with the lantern suddenly burst into wild flames that crackled with dark magic, causing the blade to ignite with the crimson fire.

_Oh you've got to be kidding me…_

It suddenly slashed the air in front of it and an arched surge of dark magic came hurling toward Link. Another memory flashed before him, and his eyes widened before he brought the Master Sword back and swung at the arched surge right when it was about to hit him.

The arched surge collapsed against the sword, shocking Link with the recoil energy and knocking him to the ground.

Sheik cried out when Link hit the ground, and pounded on the barrier that separated them in desperation.

"Link! Get up! Its coming!" shouted the Sheikah. Meg hovered closer to Sheik when Link staggered to his feet and narrowly missed losing a limb when Moros swung its scythe downward at him.

"Meg, _please_. This isn't the time for your mind games," said Sheik, never taking his eyes from the fleeing Hero. What was he thinking? Trying to hit it back to the monster when the surge wasn't in a stable form?

Meg started to make frustrated sounds, and he glared at her once she hovered in front of him, obviously trying to tell him something that he just didn't care to hear right now. His eyes widened suddenly. She was in front of him. On the _other _side of the barrier!

"The barrier doesn't block you! Can you all pass through it?" asked Sheik hurriedly. The other sisters looked at each other, then they flew toward the barrier and passed right through it. Joelle made an excited sound then hurried after Link as he went sprinting past them. Beth, Amy and Meg all looked more reluctant.

"Please help him! Moros is nothing but a manifestation of that little bastards power! If they hated you all as much as he says they do then they would have gone straight for all of you instead of Link!" shouted Sheik desperately. They all looked back at each other, then Beth nodded and sped after her sister.

Meg and Amy stayed behind but no longer looked reluctant, they just didn't know how they could help.

Link started when Joelle suddenly appeared beside him, but smiled gratefully before having to throw himself out of the way of a flying scythe. He kept moving then yelped when Beth suddenly appeared on his other side.

"Good Goddess! At least warn me guys!" exclaimed Link. Beth whined an apology as Joelle went soaring toward the surprised Moros and bashed her red flame against it's head. It stopped, then with a growl it took a swing at her. Link narrowed his eyes as he thought of something. He brought his palm up and focused his energy until a flame suddenly burst into life. Then with a growl, he hurled the ball at the distracted Poe, making it screech as it scorched it's long black cloak, but Link frustratingly found that it was merely irritated, not hurt.

_So screaming dead man is impervious to fire? What the hell am I suppose to do if I cant reach it with the Master Sword then! _

Beth seemed to have an idea, so she quickly gestured to Link to join her. He followed the Blue Poe as she went closer to Moros and then started to make strange sounds at it. Link looked at Beth, confused, but Joelle seemed to get the idea so she imitated her sister and yelled the strange sounds at Moros from above.

Link grinned, raising an eye brow when Moros screeched angrily at them. Then started to slash at them wildly, not really aiming.

_They must being mocking it! Brilliant! Now why would they be making this guy even more angry when he's already pretty dangerous the way he is? _

Then Link tensed when Moros suddenly ignited it's blade again, and with a slash, a familiar arched surge of dark energy went sailing toward Beth. Link got ready to bolt but found that Beth hadn't moved an inch. He originally thought that she was maybe frozen in fear, but as she brought her own blue fame back, he saw the smirk on her face until the arched surge hit her just when she started to spin.

Link's eye's widened when the arched surge didn't collapse like it had with him, but Beth seemed to be able to control the energy of it until she flung it at Joelle who stood just to the right of Link. Joelle imitated her sister, until she suddenly flung the surge right at _him_.

Link grinned once he noticed that the energy surge was now in the shape of a ball, the entire thing not taking more then a few seconds.

_Now that's more like it!_

Link brought his sword back, not bothering to even glance at Moros when it came screeching toward him. With a mighty baseball swing, Link sent the ball of mixed magic back at the surprised Poe's face. The ball hit Moros square between the eyes, making the mixed magic ricochet all around it's body, until it finally hit the floor with a thud, completely stunned.

Link sped toward it and leapt onto it's chest and just stabbed away. Moros screamed, trying to claw at Link, but was unable to so it just continued to scream as it laid helpless on the floor. Link noticed it regaining it's mobility so he quickly leapt way from it.

Gripping it's scythe, Moros snarled at Link as it rose from the ground. Then with a wild cry it suddenly ignited it's blade again, and Joelle and Beth immediately stood ready next to Link, but instead Moros jut continued to spin it's scythe.

"Watch out! There's dark magic flowing into the picture frames!" shouted Sheik suddenly. Then just as he said that, Moros suddenly sped toward the picture frame to the right of Link and materialized inside of it. Another memory suddenly flashed by him.

_Oh great…to bad I can't wield a bow right now…_

Joelle punched his shoulder suddenly, making him turn with an irritated expression but once looking where she pointed to, he saw that every picture frame now showed the huge Poe like monster. Every image showed Moros just spinning it's scythe but Link noticed that there was crackling energy emitting from the picture frames.

"Be careful! It's energy is building!" shouted Sheik. He knew something bigger was coming, and it was just killing him that he had to stand here and watch.

Then Moros suddenly erupted from every picture frame and with a snarl, lightning sprung from the end of every lantern and it ricocheted around the room, easily filling it within seconds.

Link quickly found that he was running out of room to avoid the continuous stream's of lightning, but suddenly Beth appeared in front of him, and he stiffened when Joelle appeared from behind and quickly shoved him against Beth. They immediacy started to spin, and as a bolt of continuous lightning came hurling toward them, it suddenly bounced right off the spinning ghosts.

Link stood stunned as the Red and Blue Poe spun wildly beside him, but successfully kept the bolts of lightning from reaching him.

Sheik stood glued against the barrier, with Meg and Amy glued to each of his arms. He was almost ready to pull his hair out, especially once he saw an image of Moros jump out of every picture frame and shoot a _continuous _stream of lightning at Link. Then he clawed at it once he realized that Link wouldn't be able to avoid them forever, but then watched in amazement as Beth and Joelle acted as shield's for Link. The fire each Poe Sister had must have some kind of magical protection. It may even be part of the Forest Sage's power!

"They can't sit there forever! How can they force it out of the picture frame?" muttered Sheik frustrated. Amy suddenly had an idea. She detached herself from Sheik's left arm and entered the arena, immediately spinning to avoid getting electrocuted. Once she reached one of the picture frame's she suddenly bashed herself against it, setting it ablaze with her green fire.

Then with a snap of her finger's, her green fire suddenly jumped from picture to picture until reaching the last one and all the fire from every picture reached back toward it's wielder. Once they all had reached her, Amy snapped her fingers again and the picture frames all suddenly vanished into her green flame and materialized into four puzzle blocks in the center and then dropped to the floor.

Amy hurriedly gestured for Link to come solve it.

"What? _Another _puzzle?" muttered Link, but suddenly smiled nervously when Amy narrowed her eyes at him, "I mean, yes! Another puzzle! Good thinking Amy!" Link then hurriedly went over to the four blocks and couldn't help but laugh at the expression of surprise that shone from Moros's eyes from the image on top of the blocks.

He pushed them all together until they finally formed the image of the surprised Poe. Then they suddenly vanished, the pictures frames all returning unharmed to the wall but Moros remained stunned on the ground.

Not wasting a second, Link bolted toward Moros and leapt on it's chest again and slashed at it wildly, with Beth, Joelle, and Amy all yelling something that Link guessed was them trying to say _hit him harder!_

When Moros started to regain it's mobility, Link leapt away and stood ready. Moros flew into the air, but it's looked absolutely furious. So with a cry of rage, Moros spun it's scythe in front of him, it's blade igniting again but the flame suddenly didn't stop at just the blade, it suddenly started to engulf the Poe's whole body.

Link backed away once it let out a loud screech, the sound making him wince with the shrill sound. Then his eye's widened in disbelief when Moros suddenly split itself into ten copies, with all of them immediately surrounding the bewildered Hero once the flame's died down.

Each one suddenly threw either a scythe, a stream of lightning, or an arched energy surge right at Link and it was all he could do to just keep throwing himself out of the way of the flying projectiles, and this was with Joelle, Beth, and Amy all trying to keep the Hero safe by spinning beside him. The sisters all had no time to try and bounce the arched surges between them for that would leave Link open for attack and he certainly couldn't hit the ball of energy back if he were dead.

Sheik turned when Meg made an irritated sound from beside him and suddenly she detached herself from his arm and entered the arena, spinning to avoid the streams of lightning. Then she suddenly spilt herself into four copies and went right up to the copies of Moros and started to harass the huge Poe.

Many of the copies of Moros threw projectiles at her in frustration, leaving Link some breathing room but the rest of the Poe Sisters still had no time to do anything but keep Link from being hit.

Meg obviously thought she was much better at this then Moros was, and Link had to agree when Moros didn't seem to know the difference between her copies but Meg immediately pointed out the real Moros to Link.

_Thanks Meg…but how am I supposed to reach him without getting electrocuted or butchered?_

Link really had no idea what to do, he was just lucky that Moros was distracted enough with Meg that he aimed most of his attacks at her copies.

Sheik narrowed his eyes when Meg bashed her purple flame against Moros's head, making it screech in pain before she sped away as it flung a scythe angrily at her.

"Link! Think, what does everything about this battle have in common?" shouted the Sheikah. He would have just yelled the obvious answer but he didn't want Moros to know what they were going to use against it.

Link looked at him in confusion, but the three Poe Sisters surrounding him all seemed to understand. They each waved their different colored flames toward Link, except Meg, who was busy irritating Moros. He looked at them and then raised an eye brow.

Link looked back at Moros and his eyes widened when it screeched at Meg angrily when she hit it in the back of the head with her purple flame as she flew past. That's what everything in this battle had in common.. _Fire_!

_Maybe Moros is just impervious to regular fire…? Or maybe I just didn't give it a good enough taste of my fire yet…_

"I've got a crazy idea but I need you guys to high tail it out of here when I try it ok?" asked Link softy to the spinning Blue Poe beside him. She nodded, then told her other sisters, but Meg was to far but they figured she'd get the hint when they all disappeared. They all moved closer to the real Moros, for Link knew Din's Fire did have a hit radius. It wouldn't do to have all its copies get hit but not him.

So with a deep breath, Link crotched on the ground, focusing all his energy, and then brought his left palm back before slamming it into the ground. The affect was immediate, like he'd hoped it would be, and he saw the familiar wild flames dance around him before creating a dome that surrounded him before exploding in all directions.

Sheik could have sworn his heart stopped beating when Link crotched to the ground, like he was wounded, but he almost fainted when the Poe Sisters suddenly vanished, leaving the Hero completely open for fire but suddenly flames erupted from all around him before surrounding him in a dome that blocked anything from reaching him. The dome suddenly shot outward and engulfed each copy of Moros in flames, while Meg disappeared when she noticed that her sisters did.

All the copies vanished once the wall of flames reached them while the real Moros had got the blunt of the blast and crashed to the ground, stunned. Link sped toward the fallen fiend then leapt on it's chest and once again, slashed away at it.

Normally Link is to distracted trying to kill something that he doesn't really look to see what condition they are in. Now however, its hard to miss that Moros just wasn't getting any weaker…like his attacks weren't doing anything but ensuring that Moros is going to have a cow when it gets back up.

He hurriedly reached his right hand into his pouch, still hacking away with his left and searched for anything that might shine some light on his little issue, but suddenly his hand bumps against something that sent a warm tingling sensation down his arm. He froze as his eyes widened in disbelief.

_No way…_

He brought his hand out and there, sitting on his palm was a gleaming Light Arrow.

_I thought I used all these suckers…!_

Link was jarred suddenly when Moros started to rise again and snarled at the Hero. A feral look sprung into his eyes at the challenge, so with a growl Link quickly switched hands and brought his left arm back and then stabbed Moros through the heart with the Light Arrow.

Link was thrown as Moros suddenly thrashed wildly as it screamed in pain when light started to engulf it's entire body. The Hero was quickly grabbed by Joelle and she proceeded to drag him away by his foot as dark magic started to spasm from Moros's rapidly disintegrating body.

With a flash of light, the huge Poe finally was left as a floating soul flame. Link laid on his stomach, staring at it as Joelle clutched his booted foot in the air. Raising an eye brow, the Hero suddenly had an idea. Reaching in his pouch, he pulled out an empty bottle and climbs to his feet. He then strides to the floating soul flame and caught it just when it tried to float away.

The Poe Sisters all hovered around his shoulders as they peered within the bottle. Moros gave them a nervous smile as it huddled near the bottom as far from them as possible.

"Well, you'll think twice about messing with this dream team next time won't you?" said Link and laughed as Joelle yelled something at Moros. He didn't know what she said but he would bet his cap that it was some kind of insult, "Now this is what I'm talking about! Nice team work guys!" They all laughed before Meg attached herself to his left arm as Amy ruffled Link's hair while Beth and Joelle spun around him playfully.

"That's all very heart warming and all that but will you at lest come over here Link so I can see if your alright?" drawled Sheik from the other side of the barrier that still blocked the opening of the arena. Link swung toward him, and gave him an apologetic look before jogging over to him. Sheik stepped back, and his eyes widened when Link's Triforce symbol shone for a brief second as he pasted the barrier before going back to normal, with the barrier disappearing with it. He started when Link jogged right up to him and quickly wrapped his left arm around the Sheikah's waist and lifted him into the air and spun him around.

"Oh my Goddess! _Did you see that_? Heh, I may hate that little tyrant but damn, he sure knows how to make a good boss fight," exclaimed Link as the Poe Sisters all high fived each other from above them. Again, Link was strangely torn between laughing and being angry.

_Why does that give me such a weird mixed feeling…?_

"Yes yes, good job, now put me _down _please. We still aren't done yet," said Sheik sharply. Link frowned at him but set him back on the ground. Sheik immediately walked into the arena and started to search for something.

_Oh! The medallion! Wow, almost forgot about that…_

The purple clothed man growled as he spun to face the Hooded Man behind him.

"How dare you! You completely ruined my introduction of Moros!" exclaimed the purple clothed man angrily. The Hooded Man rolled his eyes.

"Well, if you had answered me the first time then I wouldn't have had to resort to hitting you over the head to get your attention now would I? _Anyway_, I asked if you wanted to stay in my quarters or go to our base near Calatia? And don't you even start arguing. You are not staying here. I'm not risking anyone seeing you just yet, and that's going to be near impossible with the increased number of people that will be in Hyrule thanks to the arrival of the _Lion _King. I don't know why Calatia has to ally herself with Hyrule. Things were fine just the way they were, " muttered the Hooded Man. The purple clothed man raised an eye brow. This was the first time he had said something personal.

Among the many things that he didn't like about the Hooded Man, that was one of he biggest ones. He never talked about anything personal. He didn't even know where he's from or what race he even is, because he's never taken off that blasted hood. The most he's seen was a smirk or a frown, but never his whole face.

"So?" asked the Hooded Man. His companion just rolled his eyes.

"I don't care, just as long as it isn't some kind of hut or a hole in the wall place," muttered his smaller companion.

"Why? We won't be staying long enough for it to matter," said the Hooded Man. His companion hurmphed.

"What do you mean _why_? Because its disgraceful for someone of my status...and yours I guess, but I'm the one that's going to be stuck there all the time!" exclaimed his companion. The Hooded Man started to browse through his library.

"Well that's simply to bad for you," said the Hooded Man as he pulled out a book from the middle shelf and flipped through it's pages but quickly frowned and put it back. His companion stormed after him as he walked around the corner to browse through the other side of the bookshelf.

"This is ridicules! I am no one's minion to stuff to the side when they are not needed anymore!" shouted the purple clothed man angrily.

The Hooded Man paused from the book he was flipping through, then glanced over at him slowly.

"Oh? Then what are you? Your certainly not a god, or a king like you seem to think," said the Hooded Man, then snapped the book closed, "I'll tell you what you are. A self absorbed dark mage that happens to have considerable power but doesn't know how to use it properly, so this leads to you always losing a fight that you could have won if you just came out of that little world of your's where everything has to bend to your will. Well, time to wake up," He placed the book back and then stepped closer to his companion, who seemed to have lost his voice at the moment.

"If you didn't have this considerable power of yours then I would have no farther use for you, and you would still be sealed away in that sword like the ungrateful little buffoon you are. Now, if you don't want to be _back _in your sword prison then you'd best watch what you say to me," hissed the Hooded Man. He then turned and strode to the end and went to browse through the other side of the adjacent shelf.

His companion just grumbled under his breathe as he turned and stormed past rows of book shelves until he found the balcony window and climbed up to perch himself on the cushion beside it.

"Just you wait…one of these days your going to wish you were me, you overgrown hooligan," muttered the purple clothed man as he glared out the window.

Two hours later found Sheik stomping angrily out of the Forest Temple with a confused but tired Link dragging his feet behind him. The Sheikah leapt from the top of the broken stairway and landed gracefully on the ground, but continued to stomp toward the stairway out of the area.

Saria lowered the ocarina she was playing and stood up from her stump next to the entrance then frowned at the storming Sheikah's back. She then looked up at Link who was currently trying to figure out how he was going to climb down from the top of the broken stairway.

"Link! Are you guys ok? What's wrong with Sheik?" asked Saria.

"We're fine. I think Sheik's mad at me though," yelled Link from the top of the broken stairway. Amy rolled her eyes as Meg giggled. The Green Poe then signaled for her sisters to come help her.

Amy grabbed a hold of his left arm while Beth and Meg grabbed both of his feet and lifted him off the ground before hovering toward Saria as Joelle tickled Link in the air. He swatted at her with his right hand, trying to keep her away from his sensitive sides.

"Stop that! Jeeze, how did you know I was ticklish there?" asked Link as he swatted at Joelle one last time before the Poe Sisters set him on the ground. Joelle just shrugged her shoulders, then with a crackling laugh she hovered over to where her sisters were gathered at.

The other ghosts smirked at him before Saria put her hands on her hips and frowned at them.

"Alright, what did you guys do in there? Sheik wouldn't be muttering about _those ghosts and their wretched mind games_ if you were all as innocent as your trying to make me believe," said Saria sternly.

They all immediately pointed to each other, except for Amy, who firmly gestured the only prankish thing she did was something that was well deserved and then proceeded to give Link a quick glare before returning her attention to her sisters.

"What? Something that was well deserved?" asked Saria. Link laughed nervously as Amy jabbed a finger toward him.

"Yeah…I was kinda being a little rude but in my defense, I had just gotten through almost the entire temple which all had puzzles of it's own so I really wasn't looking forward to doing yet another one, oh come on Amy," said Link as he spread his arms to emphasize his point to the Green Poe that was glaring at him again now, "I'm not saying _your _puzzles lame or anything, I was just tired at the moment of doing puzzles. I mean if you went through all that work would _you _still be very enthusiastic about doing even _more _puzzles?" Amy nodded, gesturing that she does puzzles all the time.

"Oh, well then you're a trooper. I salute you! But I do have to admit that was pretty awesome the way you plastered the look on Moros's face on those blocks as you trapped it inside them. That just made the entire battle all worth it," said Link as he brought his hand up and saluted Amy. The Green Poe rolled her glowing eyes but hovered over and ruffled his hair.

"Alright fine, Amy your off the hook but one or all of you were messing with Sheik, so who was it?"

Link looked confused as each sister quickly pointed at Meg, who then glared at her sisters for ratting her out.

Saria paused as Link looked up at Meg and frowned.

"Ah Link! Why don't you go see if Sheik's alright? You were always more clumsy when you were upset so there's no telling what Sheik may be like now," said Saria hurriedly. Link continued to give Meg a confused look.

"Wait a minute. I never saw Meg messing with Sheik so why is everyone saying she was? Even Sheik said something about her messing with him when we were back in the torch room but once I asked what she was doing, he just gave me this frustrated look before turning and storming out of the temple," asked Link as he looked back at Saria. She quickly laughed and then grabbed a hold of his left hand and started to pull him toward the exit.

"Oh don't mind them! Their just being silly! They do it all the time so just go stay with Sheik and I'll catch up in a few minutes ok? I bet he's getting lonely now," said Saria as they approached the exit.

"Yeah well, I was lonely when he left me _stranded _at the entrance of the Forest Temple." said Link then stopped once he reached the stairway. Saria rolled her eyes, then gave him a pointed look.

"Oh phooey, you could have just teleported to the warp platform that was _right _in front of the Forest Temple you big baby," said Saria.

"What? I can't teleport, only Sheik can do that!" exclaimed Link. Saria slapped her forehead.

"I meant the warp song you dummy! You don't have to have a natural teleporting ability to use a warp song. You should know that," said Saria disapprovingly, but then laughed as Link repeatedly hit his forehead.

"Oh man, I forgot about those! But wait, there's a warp song that goes straight to the Forest Temple? What? So all that work…? All that hiking through the Lost Woods with that damn Skull Kid could have been avoided? _What_?" exclaimed Link, but then narrowed his eyes, "Sheik is the one that has the that scroll thing so _he _should have known that there was a song that would take us straight here!" he then turned and strode down the stairs in a huff.

Saria knew they would most likely get in a fight, but she had a few things to take care of first before she can go play peacemaker, like making sure her guardian ghosts don't try and speed up the creation of a relationship that at one time, existed a long time ago.

Link strode up to the latter that stood against the wall at the end of the hallway and climbed up it slowly. He reached the top and immediately spotted the Sheikah at the far side of the area, sitting with his back against the Gossip Stone they had encountered before.

Sheik had his head bowed but lifted it when he heard Link approaching.

"What the hell is your problem? Not only do you just leave me stranded there, but your blaming Meg for something that she didn't do?" exclaimed Link as he walked up to him. The Sheikah stood up and crossed his arms.

"Just because you never saw what she did doesn't mean she wasn't doing anything. And I'm sorry for not teleporting you down. I was just a bit upset," said Sheik calmly.

"_Just a bit upset_? You spoke maybe two words to me during the whole two hours we searched for the Forest Medallion! Why are you so angry at me? What did I do?" asked Link frustrated.

"I'm not angry. I'm…just…"

"Your just _what_? Disappointed? Did I not do a good enough job for you?" asked Link angrily.

"What-of coarse not-!"

"Then what! You driving me crazy with this-this shit you keep pulling! First your mad at me, then your not. First your going to rip my head off, then your not. Then you yell at Meg? If she really did something then why can't you tell me!" shouted Link. Sheik backed away as his eyes widened.

"It's _what _she's teasing me about that I can't tell you…just don't!" shouted Sheik suddenly when Link opened his mouth to argue, "Please just understand. It's something that will not be a problem eventually. It's just one of the disadvantages of being so young," Link gave him a weird look, but didn't press the issue.

"Alright fine, but why were you mad at me and don't you even say you weren't!" said Link as Sheik started to shake his head, "The one you spoke to the most was Meg, and most of _that _was you yelling at her! Just give it to me straight. What is the problem?" Sheik started to shift nervously, and Link narrowed his eyes when the Sheikah backed away again.

_Oh no, your not getting away that easily…_

Link took a casual step forward before bolting toward the surprised Sheikah and crashed him to the ground. He winced as he jolted his right arm but just pressed it gently against Sheik's right shoulder.

"You must not like talking about your problems. Or maybe you don't like revealing that you _have _any problems, but its part of everyday life and I don't want this to turn into some bitter fight so its time to fess up. Jeeze, your acting like I'm asking for a life story here," said Link. Sheik was looking around wildly, like he didn't know what to do.

"I…I was just stressed," said Sheik.

"Oh come on, you can do better then that! I've seen you stressed and that was not wholly about you being stressed," said Link dully. Sheik was rapidly running out of self control but Link was right. He didn't want this to turn into some bitter fight either…

"Is it something I did? Is it even about me? Why is this so hard for you to say?" exclaimed Link. Sheik finally grinded his teeth together in frustration and suddenly gripped Link's tunic and pulled him closer so he was but three inches from the Sheikah's face.

"Of coarse it's about you! It's always about you! The moment you walk out of my sight I worry some vicious monster's going to be there waiting to rip you to pieces _much like Moros_! Do you even realize that if the Poe Sisters weren't there you could-could have been _killed_?" exclaimed Sheik. Link was at a loss for words, especially as the Sheikah's eyes began to glaze over. He'd never seen the Sheikah so emotional before, "It could have ripped you apart and I wouldn't be able to do anything but _watch_!" Sheik suddenly shoved up against his chest, making Link lose his balance and Sheik quickly flipped them over.

"I'm tired of this! Being so reckless seems to be wired into your system! I don't know what I'd do if something actually happened to you! I didn't know I could even feel this way about someone I just _met_," growled Sheik, but suddenly blinked, just realizing what he just said. Link gave him a confused look before the Sheikah threw himself off of Link's chest.

Saria walked up and raised an eye brow as the Hero and his guide were rolling around the floor, trying to get the other to submit.

"I don't know what I meant! So stop asking!" shouted the Sheikah as he tried to kick Link's legs out from under him to avoid getting pinned again.

"You never say anything without a reason! So just spill it!" shouted Link as he tried to grab the thrashing legs that aimed to dislodge him. Link finally just pounced on the surprised Sheikah, making him get punched in the stomach on the way down.

"Guys! Hey! Settle down!" shouted Saria, but they continued to fight with Sheik somehow finding a way onto Link's back and pulling at his hair after he grabbed his green cap and threw it in some random direction.

Saria hurmphed, then closed her eyes and brought her hands up. Suddenly vines sprouted from the ground and gripped the fighting duo and separated them before lifting them into the air to hang upside down.

"Now that _that _is settled, why don't you tell me why you guys are suddenly trying to beat each other up?" asked Saria sternly. Link blinked several times, trying to understand how a little girl suddenly had the power to call up vines from the ground.

"We were merely having a disagreement. But I believe it is over now," said Sheik as he glanced at the bewildered Hero. Saria put out her left hand with a bend of her wrist, the vines dropped them and shrunk back into the ground.

"Wow, that is something new to add to the list of bizarre things," muttered Link. Sheik gave him a confused look and Link just shrugged, "So many weird things started to happen to me that I just started to make a list out of them," Sheik nodded slowly, but certainly didn't doubt him. He's seen pretty bizarre things in the last week of knowing him. Who knows what kind of things he could have seen beforehand. His eyes suddenly widened as he remembered something.

Link reached up to scratch his head and froze once he noticed how bare it was.

"Hey! Where's my cap! You threw it somewhere!" exclaimed Link as he swung toward Sheik. The Sheikah raised an eye brow.

"I don't know. I was more concerned with making sure you didn't pin me to notice where I threw your piece of clothing," said Sheik dully, but then suddenly his eyes widened.

"We still haven't found the Forest Medallion!" shouted Sheik and then just sighed tiredly as he ran a hand down his face, "We'll just resume our search in a few hours. I'm sure you could use the rest, and find your cap I guess," Link groaned and fell backward to lay on the grass. He suddenly sat back up and reached under himself and pulled out his green cap. He quickly stuffed it back on his head.

"Well, that was an easy find for once...wish everything I was looking for would just pop up like that but man, we searched every freaking nock and cranny in that place for that medallion. Unless it's in plain sight against some hole in the wall then we'll be here forever and never find it," whined the Hero. Sheik sighed again.

"You guys were searching for the Forest Medallion?" asked Saria.

"Yes, but our two hour search proved quite unsuccessful," said Sheik while Link just groaned again.

"Oh…I didn't know you guys were looking for it otherwise I'd have told you," said Saria as she pulled the dark green medallion from the inside of her tunic and showed it to them.

"You had it…the whole time…" muttered Link as he stared at the medallion in disbelief, "So those two hours were…for nothing…?" He just laid back down and closed his eyes, "Fuck it. I'm sleeping right here,"

Sheik was rather overwhelmed too and just crawled over to where Link laid down and collapsed beside him.

"We should at lest rest in the village," muttered Sheik.

"Don't care," muttered Link.

"There could be other monsters out here," muttered Sheik.

"Don't care," muttered Link.

"We should get something to eat," muttered Sheik.

"….ok let's go," said Link as he climbed to his feet, "You think you could teleport…us…hey wait a minute. That reminds me, how come we didn't just use the warp song to get to the Forest Temple!"

"I had seen the song, the Minuet of Forest, on my scroll as we were walking through the Lost Woods but I was told when I got it that I should see these destinations before warping there because they had used them over four hundred years ago. Who knows what the terrain would have been like. I could have warped us to the bottom of a lake that had once been but a small spring or into a tree that had once been an acorn," said Sheik.

"Din damn it! Why can't it just be like _here's your destination _and _here's the button to reach it_. No, gotta have the whole journey to get to the blasted place as while," muttered Link as he rubbed his eyes.

"Let's just get out of here, and no I cant teleport us…well, at lest not straight to the village. I'd be lucky to get us ten feet as of now," muttered Sheik as he followed the slouching Hero.

"I'm sorry…I really didn't know you guys were looking for it. I mean, I would have thought you would remember giving it back to me or remember when _he _gave it back to me," said Saria as she walk up beside Link.

"He can't rely on those memories Saria. Because they aren't his," said Sheik from behind Link. He gripped them both and teleported to the bottom and then they headed for the exit. He really shouldn't be teleporting everywhere like this but he just didn't feel like walking all the way back to the latter only to climb down and walk all the way back through this little maze.

"Well, they would have saved us two hours of pointless searching..." muttered Link.

"Link…please don't start this again…" muttered Sheik. Link just grumbled but didn't argue back.

They continued to walk through the many twisting tunnels and Link found he was quickly recognizing some of the way before he realized this was still considered part of his big brothers memories so he tried to ignore it.

They reached the village and Link felt the same sense of homesickness he had when he first got here.

_This isn't my home…but I can't help but feel sorta attached to it._

"Come on Link! I'll make you some blueberry jam as an _I'm sorry _present ok?" asked Saria as she walked down the pathway. She turned to Sheik when he caught up, "You still like raspberry jam right Sheik?"

"I can't say I've ever had raspberry jam," said Sheik. Saria giggled and then ran ahead of them.

"Then we'll see if you still do!" exclaimed Saria playfully before she disappeared behind the corner of Mido's house. They walked right to Saria's house, waving at the children as they went and then collapsed in the blankets left on the floor.

"That was pretty crazy, but I have to say Sheik, you did more then you think you did for that boss fight," said Link as he snuggled into this blanket. Sheik raised an eye brow at him.

"What? You mean more then just standing there and shouting out obvious things?" asked Sheik dully. Link sighed.

"They weren't obvious, well, at lest not to me and I felt better just knowing you were there to tell me these things that I most likely would have missed," said Link as he yawned.

"I'm pretty sure the Poe Sisters didn't know what to do about Moros's last attempt to beat me so you really helped by telling us to use fire like that," said Link softly as he began to doze off. Sheik smiled softly as he watched Link fall straight to sleep. All that coaxing with food to get him to leave the forest…and he falls asleep without eating a single bite. He then sighed and stood up.

Time to get this wretched paint off his shawl and this _smell _as well. It will probably take him awhile, since he was dropped in a pit full of the horrid stuff but he would scrub the damn smell off him if it was the last thing he did.

Sheik walked out of Saria's house and looked around for a pool he could use to wash it out. He spotted Saria walking with a bushy blonde haired girl and bowed to them as they approached him.

"Hey Sheik. I got all the berries and stuff to make the jam with," said Saria as she lifted a basket full of raspberries and blueberries that she was carrying, "Oh! And Woody said that it will take a little while to gather enough of his power to combine with mine so we can make that potion for Link. Plus we'll need ingredients that will spoil if we prepare them now so you guys will have to stay here for at lest another day ok?" The blonde haired girl giggled as she waved at him. She then leaned over and whispered something in Saria's ears, causing them both to giggle.

"I guess you'd like to wash that paint off your shawl then? Sorry Sheik, but if I know those Poe Sisters like I know I do, then they would have put yellow forest mushrooms in it, which happen to stain pretty much everything," said Saria sheepishly.

Sheik sighed as he ran his hand down his face. Great, who knows how long it will be before they are anywhere close to his home town so he could get more material for another shawl?

"I would still like to at lest try to dim the color a bit. Surely these mushrooms don't set a permanent stain?" asked Sheik hopefully. Saria shook her head.

"Afraid so, but I guess you could try to scrub at it. It may dim the color somewhat but I wouldn't know. We've always just thrown our stained cloths away and made new ones," said Saria. She turned to the bushy blonde haired girl and handed her the basket of berries, "Lisa, can you take these to Woody's groove? I'll catch up once I'm done helping Sheik," Lisa nodded then turned and skipped toward the entrance to Woody's groove.

"The pool near Woody isn't very private, so I'll just take you to the water warp pool," said Saria. She then turned and after gesturing for Sheik to follow, she walked toward Mido's house.

"Water warp pool?" asked Sheik as they climbed the hill next to Mido's house.

"Yeah, the old magic of he forest links the pool to the entrance of the old Zora's Domain. There's a few warp locations in the Lost Woods actually, but most don't serve their purpose anymore," said Saria as they walked through the hollow tree trunk that lead into the main body of the Lost Woods.

"So this forest links locations together? Like I could get from Kakariko from here in maybe a minute?" asked Sheik. Saria giggled and then turned to walk backwards as she replied.

"Nope, tough luck Sheik. You won't be able to warp anywhere close to where your hometown is, sorry," said Saria. Sheik gave her a bewildered look.

"How do you even know where I live? Do all Sages have this power?" asked Sheik. Saria giggled.

"Of coarse not silly! I just assumed you still lived in the same place that you did the last time you came here. Or the last time your _other self _came here," said Saria and she suddenly stopped and spun around, "And we're here! Just tell Milly when your done and she'll lead you back out. That ok with you Milly?" The pink fairy hovering near her head nodded and sped over to Sheik.

"May we talk about these warp locations later?" asked Sheik. Saria giggled, then nodded.

"You don't have to be so formal with me you know, or do I have to have the Skull Kid come and have a talk with you again?" teased Saria. Sheik rolled his eyes and then approached the small pool of water that had white stone built around it.

"I am not intimidated in the slightest by that strange child," said Sheik and then sat down by the water's edge. Saria smirked, but the notion went unnoticed as Sheik's back was turned to her.

"I didn't think so, but he just happens to be a _very _good friend of Meg's…" said Saria rather nonchalantly, but laughed as Sheik stiffened.

"And why would I care who that child is friends with?" asked Sheik as he tried to busy himself with something, so he quickly pulled out a cloth from his suit and dunked it into the water. Saria sighed as she gave Sheik a sad look.

"I hope it doesn't take you as long to get him this time around…" muttered Saria. Sheik narrowed his eyes as he processed what she just said. He turned to question her but found that she was already gone. He turned back with a huff. Honestly, he really needs to work on his observation skills. This was happening to much for his liking.

He noticed the pink fairy settle on the white stone in front of him, but it didn't bother him if she saw his face. Fairies had done nothing but aid others, so he has no reason to suspect treachery from them.

He unwrapped his shawl and set it into the water. He pulled a hair band from his suit and tied his long hair into a pony tail. It wasn't that he _liked _his hair long, he just hasn't bothered to cut it lately and the constant cooing from his mother about how _pleasant looking _it was certainly didn't help his cause either.

He grabbed his shawl and started to scrub at it. After half an hour of constant scrubbing, Sheik was frustratingly forced to agree that whatever the Poe Sisters had put in that paint had permanently stained his shawl. He sat up and stretched his back, but then glared at his shawl as if that would make the stain disappear. Really, after everything that he had to deal with today, why can't one thing go the way he wants it to?

"I'm afraid that isn't going to come out," said a voice from behind him. Sheik tilted his head, and then turned around slowly. That voice sounded familiar, but he didn't think Saria would send anyone to him before he said he was done.

He did a double take once he saw the Link-look-a-like standing near one of the huge hollow logs. Sheik immediately stood and summoned a dagger to sit in between each knuckle.

"Who are you?" asked Sheik as he cautiously walked closer to him. The Link-look-a-like just laughed.

"It's funny. You may be a different person now, but you still act pretty much the same. Regardless though, I'm sure you don't remember anything from that time, otherwise things would probably be a bit different between you and your charge. Anyway! You can just call me Dude," said Dude. Sheik scoffed at him, but stayed at a safe distance.

"Dude isn't a name. Its what you call someone when you can't _remember _their name, so please don't play games with me. I've had enough of mind games to last me a lifetime," said Sheik. Dude raised an eyebrow.

"What makes Dude any less of a name then Sheik?" asked Dude. Sheik growled. The fact that he somehow knew his name just made him even angrier.

"I just said why! Now tell me who you are! You know to much to be some random traveler so talk before I _make _you!" growled Sheik. Dude just laughed again.

He obviously wasn't getting the message, so perhaps he needs to be a little more persuasive.

Sheik bolted toward him and brought his right arm back before swiping at Dude's chest. He didn't put to much pressure because the point wasn't to injury him but just to get his point across. Sheik didn't except Dude to just stand there until he was almost right in front of him and right as he brought his daggers down, they hit metal.

Sheik jumped back and narrowed his eyes. He was wearing _armor _under that thick cloak, and seemed to have plenty of self confidence since he hadn't moved a muscle that entire time.

"Nope, still the same indeed. I do hope you realize a bit faster this time around about how pointless it is to attack me because I'm only trying to help," said Dude dully. Sheik stood motionless in front of him, trying to decide what to do before Milly came flying next to his face.

"It's ok! This guy comes here all the time. He's not a bad guy, and I didn't sense any ill intentions coming from him anyway which is why I didn't warn you," said Milly. Sheik still didn't trust him, but he wasn't posing a threat so he backed away before putting his daggers away.

"Much better! Thanks Milly, its been quite some time since I last saw you, how have you been?" asked Dude casually. Milly giggled and then sped over to sit on Dude's shoulder.

"Oh the normal, just making sure Saria is safe and that the triplets don't cause to much trouble, but its gotten boring since you left! You should come and visit again! I'm sure everyone would love to play that game, what did you call it…? Soccer? Oh! And tell us stories! You tell the coolest stories!" exclaimed the pink fairy excitedly. Dude gave a small smile, that Sheik noticed looked a bit forced.

"Ah, not now Milly but soon ok? I'm in a bit of a hurry actually, but I came to give our Hero's young guide here something that will make his stay here more comfortable I hope," said Dude and then he dropped his huge bag to the floor. He rummaged around until he pulled out a bundle. He then tossed it to Sheik.

The Sheikah caught it in mid air and looked down suspiciously at it until he recognized the feel of the material. He suddenly realized he hadn't covered his face this entire time. What in the world has gotten into him? It was pointless trying to hide his identity from this guy now, because he'd already seen his face.

"I know you would much rather have a white shawl instead of a pink one yes? Well, that is one of the many things I run across when I travel so keep it, oh and there's a piece of paper in there somewhere. It shows how to play the Song of Hero's, which the Hero of Twilight will need soon but it will be important later on to so be sure to teach it to him," said Dude and then he pulled his huge bag onto his shoulders, "Well, until next time!" he then turned and headed back the way he came.

"W-wait!" exclaimed Sheik and he ran after him but as he passed through the huge hallow log, no one was on the other side.

"Din damn it! How does he do that? I didn't sense anyone teleporting…"muttered Sheik. Milly flew next to him.

"He's always been like that. Here one moment and gone the next and no one knows where he's even from, or how he knows so much about…well, everything. There's not much he doesn't know about. He won't talk about his past at all though...he always changes the subject or says that he suddenly has to be some where so we stopped asking because we like having him around," said Milly and then started to bob next to his head, "Are you ready to go back then?"

Sheik sighed, and nodded.

"Yes, just let me put my shawl on," said Sheik. He unwrapped the material and tilted his head once he spotted a small crumpled piece of paper. After wrapping the shawl around his face and stuffing his old one inside his suit, he looked down at the notes written on the paper. This didn't seem to difficult, but something about it just seemed…phenomenal.

He put the piece of paper into the folds of his suit and then followed Milly out of the Lost Woods.

They reemerged and Milly immediately sped off somewhere to the left of him. He guessed she went to find Saria, and come to think of it, he'd best get down there and make sure his own charge hasn't caused much mayhem in his absence.

Walking behind Mido's house, Sheik jumped off the ledge and went straight to Saria's house to find that the Hero hadn't move a muscle since he last saw him. He sighed, relieved.

He really shouldn't worry when the Forest's Guardian and Saria, the Forest Sage, a fact that had somehow escaped their notice even though it was now so obvious, were right here in the same village but he just couldn't help it.

This was getting rather ridiculous. I mean who else but one of the Sages of legend could possibly make a potion that could rid a person of a dark curse?

He sighed and walked over and grabbed his own blanket and laid down next to Link. They could use one day of rest, maybe Link was still interested in learning how to fight with his left hand. He closed his eyes and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders until he noticed how quiet it was.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Link fast asleep but _wasn't _snoring. What did he do differently! He finally just shook his head and turned back over and hoped it was a permanent change.

Sheik took a deep breath and then closed his eyes again and quickly dozed off.

Link opened his eyes and frowned.

_I don't think I can do this…but I've get to try. I've never backed out of a fight, so neither will my heart. _


	23. Chapter 23

OMG guys, I'm so so sorry about the wait but I'm finally starting to climb this wall that has become my writer's block so the story is getting back onto it's feet again and I'm almost done with the next chapter so you won't have to wait long.

* * *

A few hours later, Sheik was startled awake when something suddenly had a vice grip around his stomach. He was about to summon his daggers before he recognized the gauntleted hand. Twisting around, he immediately saw Link's face extremely close to his own but the pain that shone in his eyes made him freeze. The Hero was shaking from the pain that began to spasm through his body and he seemed to be focusing all his willpower to stay silent.

"S-sorry…but I'm h-having a bit-t of a pro-problem here…" muttered Link through his clutched teeth.

"Is it your arm?" asked Sheik hurriedly. Link nodded, but then the pain was gone just as quickly as it came.

Sheik gave the Hero a bewildered look as he jumped to his feet and bolted out the door.

"Link! What happened?" shouted Sheik as he struggled to his own feet and chased after him.

Link sped toward the right of Saria's house and went through the tunnel until he reached Woody's Groove.

The giant tree guardian looked up at him as he skidded to a halt in his Groove.

"Is something wrong Link?" asked Woody right as Sheik skidded to a halt behind Link, narrowly missing ramming into him.

"What…? Your not…he isn't…did I just imagine that then?" asked Link finally. Saria stood up from where she and Lisa were mixing the berries in a wooden bowl.

"What's going on?" asked Saria. Lisa remained on the ground as she gave the Hero a worried look.

"I was just sleeping when suddenly my arm was throbbing, but like, a minute later it vanished…that actually happened, right Sheik?" asked Link as he turned to face the Sheikah who walked to his side.

"Yes. You shocked me awake once the pain hit you, but we cleansed the Forest Temple. How is that little bastard still able to attack you?" asked Sheik.

"Sorry…Link has to take the potion in order to get protection from this guys' dark magic, but my power hasn't been restored fully yet. I'm trying though. Honest, I am," said Saria as she looked up at Link sheepishly. The Hero walked up to her and crouched down in front of her.

"Hey, don't you worry about that, ok? I'm not blaming you because I know your trying your hardest to fix this. This guy just likes to make people suffer, but it will be a cold day in hell before I let him get to me. You just work on making that blueberry jam you promised me, alright? I'm starving just thinking about it," said Link and laughed when Saria gave him a bear hug.

"Hmmm…I thought I sensed a disturbance in my ward, but it didn't stay long enough to make me suspicious of it. Sheik, come here for a moment," said Woody. The Sheikah tilted his head but approached the giant tree guardian. "I'm afraid I won't be able to stop this attacker if he doesn't stay within my ward long enough for me to trace him. So, I would like to link you to my ward. With your races' natural ability to sense any form of magic, you will to be able to sense him approaching before he attempts to cause Link harm and block him by summoning my power once you are linked to my ward. Is this alright with you?" asked Woody.

"Yes, of course. If it will keep him safe until the potion is ready," said Sheik.

"Well I'm not alright with it," growled Link from behind Sheik. The Sheikah turned toward him.

"What? Link, this will ensure that you won't be attacked until the potion is ready and afterwards it won't matter because the curse he placed on you will be gone!" exclaimed Sheik.

"And meanwhile, I'll be watching as he attacks _you _instead. That's not happening. To _either _of you. I'll just deal with it until the potion is ready," said Link. Sheik sighed impatiently and stepped closer. Really, why does everything have to be a personal battle between them?

"That could be hours away! Do you really want to _deal with it _for a few hours? Come now, this is ridiculous. With the combined strengths of Woody, Saria and I, that man will not pose such a serious threat if he attacks you. Even a matter of seconds is painful as you've just found out, but I could stop him before he even reaches you!" exclaimed Sheik.

"You don't get it, do you? Those few seconds are indeed painful, but I can deal with it because _I'm _the one being inflicted. But…I can't just…stand there and watch you in pain when I can't do anything about it. That would hurt more then the pain itself," said Link. He spoke the last sentence softer, making Sheik almost miss what he said.

"How do you think I feel during these little episodes? If it wasn't for the Goddess's Tears, then…you would have been in constant pain this entire time. Can you even _imagine _that Link?" asked Sheik as he tried to keep eye contact with the suddenly bashful Hero. "I will do this because it will allow you some peace of mind, but that doesn't mean that some random attack from this guy will render me incompetent. In case you've forgotten, this guy just recently got himself punched by Goddess Farore herself the last time he relentlessly attacked you. So I'd think it's safe to say that he won't even think of trying to get passed me once he realizes that I'm not you," Link gave him a half smile as he looked up at him.

"Yeah…I guess your right. There will be three of you to oppose him instead of just me, but…didn't Farore say that I shouldn't rely on her? Why would he _not _try to fight his way passed you when he thinks that there's a poor chance that Farore will be here to stop him if he did?" asked Link.

"Ah, but Link. We were the only ones present when the Goddess showed herself, so how would he know that we can't rely on her?" asked Sheik as he rose an eyebrow.

"Oh man, your right! He'll probably think that she'll help me out if I jump in once he tries to attack you! You always know what to say, you sly dog," said Link, laughing. Sheik suddenly narrowed his eyes.

"…Did you just call me a _dog_?" asked Sheik neutrally.

"It's a saying…slang if you will. You know, when someone says something smart or….never mind. Sorry, what I _meant _to say was what you said was brilliant…and ah, you know what? I think it's time to move past this awkward moment so…how 'bout we get on with this whole linking to the ward thing?" asked Link nervously.

"Link! When are you going to learn to think before you speak? And to think that you maybe had managed to leave that habit behind this time around…oh well, it just means there will be plenty of fights in the near future," muttered Saria.

"Good Goddess…there's a chance there will be even more fighting then we've already had?" asked Sheik skeptically and then turned toward Link. "You barely survived the last fight you had!" Link rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, that's the norm. I was surprised the little bastard didn't try to come out and help his ghost puppet try and destroy me," said Link as he stretched out as far as his injured arm would allow.

"What! That's the _norm_? What's extreme supposed to be to you then? You're dancing with death enough as it is!" exclaimed Sheik. Link laughed and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey, a hero can't be _too _careful; otherwise nothing would get done in time. Anyway, I'm going to go hunt for some grub because I am _starving_," said Link as he patted Sheik on the back before turning and waved over his shoulder as he walked toward the exit. "Maybe we can spar a little later, huh? But I've gotta go bathe because I'm sure I smell even worse then a barn full of Orden Goats on a hot summer day, not that you have to worry about that! Never thought you would take me seriously enough to keep the vanilla scent on you, but you got to wash it off eventually!" Link laughed and then disappeared into the walkway into town.

"Well, I wish he was this easy to convince all the time," muttered Saria. She turned and giggled at the shocked expression in Sheik's eye's as he cautiously sniffed the material of his body suit on his arm.

"Oh my Goddess…I forgot the entire reason why I went into the forest to begin with! Arrrrgh! I've smelt like this the _entire time_?" exclaimed Sheik as Saria and Lisa were rolling on the floor as they laughed.

"Alright, alright, settle down. We have plenty to do and little time to do it in. Sheik come here so we can get this linking process undergo and then you may go and do whatever it is you need to do," said Woody. Sheik took a deep breath before approaching the giant tree guardian. The first thing on his list, besides getting rid of this horrid smell, is to train. Or perhaps he should do some meditation or practice using his magic. He was getting rather tired of people sneaking up on him. He was a ninja, for Goddess's sake! We were the ones that did the sneaking, not the other way around!

An hour later, Sheik walked out from Woody's groove scratching the spot where a small gold and green leaf symbol now shone from his left wrist. He continued to walk toward Saria's house, thinking Link should be done by now. As he walked in, he soon found the Forest Sage's house empty. _Great, nothing can ever work in my favor can it?_

Grumbling, Sheik turned from Saria's doorway and scoured the small village, but his eyes narrowed once he realized that none of the Kokiri was outside. His breath quickened as he walked farther out when he saw that not even the fairies that normally inhabited this place were there. The village looked abnormally dead in their absence.

"Sheik?" asked a voice from behind him, making him jump out of his skin. He immediately calmed once he heard the familiar giggle as he turned to face Saria.

"Did I scare you? Sorry! But you looked like you were about to freak out there. What's the matter?" asked Saria as she clasped her hands behind her back and swayed back and forth playfully.

"I was looking for Link so we could complete the ritual, but he isn't here. No one is. This place is normally so lively that it caught me off guard at the sudden change in atmosphere. I assume that this is on purpose since you are not bothered by it," said Sheik. Saria suddenly looked down sadly.

"Oh sorry…I forgot to tell you guys about the burial tonight," said Saria.

"Burial?" asked Sheik. Surely no one was attacked while they were away? The village seemed fine when they came back.

"It's the fairies…so many of them didn't survive the first wave, but luckily you were smart enough to seek aid from the Red Fairies near the Forest Temple. They sensed the disturbance in the old magic of the forest once Abby answered your call then started to gather all the fairies in the area before bringing them here…we thought Abby would be fine since she was with Link, but I guess there was to much evil magic surrounding that place that it hindered the flow from his piece of Courage. But everything's going to be fine! I know it! My power is almost ready and Link has never failed us before and that was without you. So now that you're here, there's no chance that the bad guys can win!" said Saria firmly. Sheik sighed. Despite the fact that she was a Sage of Legend, she was still so innocent. Hopefully this new worldly disaster wouldn't change that. Then something caught his attention.

"How would Abby be fine just because she was with Link?" asked Sheik.

"His piece of Courage, it's a direct link to Farore herself so her power flows freely from it. That's why the fairies in the area were fine when Link came there because he sustained them and then I did once he left with you in the Forest Temple. Then…something must have happened when Abby was with you guys. Maybe he was hit with a spell or cursed or maybe she just got a little too far from him, so the flow wasn't protecting her from the evil magic surrounding that place. I really don't know but Woody and I have a solution for that. Hopefully because it's going to be really hard for you guys to pass a temple without fairies, I'm sure," said Saria thoughtfully. Sheik wasn't really listening though. He was sure nothing had hit Link because both the pranks from the Poe Sisters and most of the attacks were actually aimed at him and he blocked the few that went straight for Link so…nothing fit except that she got too far from them.

Sheik put a hand over his eyes. The red carpeted hallway…that's when Link freaked out and tackled him clear off the ledge he was standing on. He must have bolted the moment he saw that old memory, meaning Abby was left behind and couldn't catch up in time before the suffocating evil around her started to affect her.

"What's wrong Sheik?" asked Saria. He shook his head. Link probably would never leave the forest if he thought it would kill so many fairies…

"Nothing, I'm just wondering where Link is actually," said Sheik. Saria tapped her chin thoughtfully before snapping her fingers.

"Oh! He said he was going to the area that was to the far left of the Forest Temple with Abby because Woody won't let any of us go out that far. He says it's too dangerous," said Saria. Well, Sheik was glad at least Abby was fine now.

"Thank you. I will join him then, but you said that your powers are almost ready? Then you will be able to heal his wound soon?" asked Sheik.

"Yep! Me and Woody were actually going to use the excess energy from the new ward we're making to help speed up the process," said Saria. She turned as Lisa came running up to her.

"Woody says it's time! Hurry Saria, we can't finish it without you!" exclaimed Lisa excitedly before sprinting back the way she came. Saria smiled before turning back to Sheik and giggled at the questioning look he gave her.

"I have to go but Link should know what's going on so ask him. Take him to Link, okay Milly? Abby can lead them back," said Saria to her fairy. Milly nodded before speeding past Sheik and headed toward the Lost Woods high above the village. Saria waved as Sheik went sprinting after the pink fairy.

"Come on! You can do better then that! Have you gotten out of shape already? You used to be so much faster then this when we raced before!" exclaimed the pink fairy as she whizzed past the entrance to the Lost Woods while Sheik was barely climbing the hill leading there. What in the world! He was not out of shape! And he's never raced her before! Guess Link isn't the only one that those of the forest like messing with.

"Milly! Slow down! I can't fly, so that's a bit of a disadvantage for me, don't you think!" Sheik exclaimed as he sprinted through many different hollowed logs that he had long since lost count off.

"Didn't stop you before!" exclaimed Milly as she whizzed to the right of a strange stone archway that looked really out of place beside the forest environment around it but it quickly disappeared from view as Milly whizzed in another direction.

"What are you talking about?" exclaimed Sheik but Milly only laughed ahead of him. He huffed before pushing his speed to the limit and chased after the pink fairy.

Ten minutes later, Sheik was gasping for breath on top of a hill overlooking the Forest Temple with Milly bouncing in the air around his head.

"That was fun! Though you're still slower then usual-!" but something suddenly ran right into Milly and spun her around in the air.

"What-Abby!" exclaimed Milly as she finally caught sight of the red fairy smiling from behind her. They continued to spin in the air as Link walked up to them.

"Wow, what happened to you Sheik? This is pretty rare. For once you're the one out of breath. _Exhausting, _isn't it?" asked Link as he smirked at the hunching Sheikah.

"Shut up," wheezed Sheik, then after a few deep breaths he finally stood up straight. "Now what in the name of The Three is going on here?" It was then that Sheik noticed that Link wasn't wearing his cap, but was almost cradling it in his arms instead.

"No one can come out this far, but there's still many fairies out here that never made it," said Link before looking down at his cap sadly. "I've been putting them in my cap…because I thought, you know, that they would have liked a soft place before taking their final rest…"

Sheik sighed. This was a disaster! And one of the most innocent creatures in existence had to pay for it.

"I will take some back with me as well. I can't certainly not just lend a hand, but we should return soon Link. I think Saria and Woody are almost ready to heal your arm," said Sheik as they walked back the way Link came from. "We also need to plan our next objective because as much as I would also like to stay and help everyone here, the longer we dawdle the worse it will become-," Sheik stopped mid sentence at the sight before him.

Hundreds of fairies littered the ground, looking like glittering snowflakes. A small patch near wear he stood was bare but he realized that must have been because of Link.

"Oh, Nayru…may they rest in peace…" muttered Sheik.

"Yeah, my cap's almost full, so I need to go back soon anyway," said Link softly before walking forward and crouching on the ground. Sheik saw him gently pick up one after another and set them in his cap as he walked passed him but something bright suddenly caught his eye.

His eyes softened as he saw Abby burying herself in Link's hair, obviously not wanting to see her dead kin. He crouched down a few feet away from Link and pressed his right arm against his chest and started to gather the fairies before gently setting them in the inner curve of his arm.

They worked silently for the next few moments but Sheik was quickly running out of space. He certainly didn't want to drop them throughout the forest so he stood up and stretched his legs. Link picked up a few more before standing up himself.

"Ok, I can't fit anymore in here so I'm ready when you are," said Link as he cradled his cap against his chest with his left arm. Sheik nodded before heading out of the area.

"Man, Abby's out like a light. She's alright," said Link quickly when Sheik spun to give him a worried look. "I know because she's gripping my hair like it's a lifeline. Poor girl…she tried helping before you joined us but she would burst into tears whenever she went near any of them and it was hard enough keeping it together myself so I had her sit on my head and guide me…now that I think about it though…there was this one time right when we got here that I went on ahead while she stayed there for a moment or two but when I called out to her, it was like she couldn't hear me. She started to sway in the air until I got a hold of her and then suddenly she was just fine. She said she got dizzy for a moment but I don't know…"

"Link…do you not know the importance of your presence?" asked Sheik. Link gave him a weird look.

"Huh?" asked Link as he stopped and turned to give Sheik a puzzled look. The Sheikah sighed before walking up to Link.

"It seems that you are able to act as a stabilizer for the weakening flow of life because you have a direct link to Farore, so that enables you to sustain those around you who are suffering from it," said Sheik before looking down at the fairies on the inner curve of his arm. "But the protection that you bestow will start to dissipate the farther you are from those that need it."

"What? So I'm now some kind of antidote or what did you say…stabilizer?" exclaimed Link, but then stopped and turned toward where they had come from. "Wait, then why didn't the fairies heal when I showed up? Does it take time or do I have to say something?"

"No Link…The protection that you provide to them will not help the ones who have already passed on," said Sheik softly as he walked up to Link. The Hero swung to face him.

"I-I can't…? What about the others? What will happen to them if I leave?" asked Link hesitantly. Sheik frowned.

"We can't stay here…"

"Why not! If my presence helps prevent _this_," said Link as he wildly gestured to the forest around him with his right hand. "From happening then why wouldn't I stay?"

Sheik sighed impatiently as he ran his free hand down his face. He really hadn't expected Link to just say "_ok, let's go then" _but it was still a nice thought to hope for. He brought his arm down and was about to face Link before he caught sight of something.

Almost directly to the right of where Link was fuming was a wide patch of dead grass that was definitely not there during his wild dash through these woods. There was no way it could die that quickly when it had been perfectly healthy not more then a half hour ago.

He jumped and almost dropped a few fairies when he suddenly felt a sting on his wrist. He cursed as he swung to his right and looked around; thinking a bee had come to interrupt his thought but swung back once he heard a gasp.

Link was clutching his right arm with a wince. He glanced down at his left wrist when he felt another sting and his eyes widened when he noticed it was bleeding around where the leaf symbol shone brightly.

"It's like he's totally half-assing it. It is normally so much more painful then this or is that because of you?" asked Link before tilting his head to the side. "Actually…the pain is hitting at different times…I think he's confused-" But Sheik cut him off as he gripped his right wrist suddenly and teleported them away.

They appeared in front of Woody's groove before Sheik immediately fell to his knees. Saria came running up to them just as Sheik heard a low laugh that seemed to echo all around him. Saria was crouching in front of him saying something but all he could hear was this low echoing laugh before it finally said something.

"_No more getting away. I would much rather do this in person but who am I to pass up this opportunity?_" said a familiar voice.

Sheik tensed as he felt a presence close around his mind. He looked up at Saria who was still trying to say something to him but he quickly gripped the side of her tunic and pulled her closer.

"Please…take them," said Sheik as he looked into Saria's scared blue eyes before looking down at the fairies against the inner curve of his right arm. Saria took the hint and gently took them as Link crotched down and gently handed Lisa his cap before gripping Sheik's shoulder.

"_Wait…your presence is too dark. I'm attacking the wrong person? Wait! I know your presence! Shadow Walker! How did this happen? Whatever, I'll just take out the shield before the target. It will be so much easier in the end anyway," _said the voice.

Sheik trembled as he felt the presence get closer. He realized who it was but it was a different experience to have the guy attacking his mind instead of his body. He was startled when Link gripped his shoulder and turned to face him.

"What's going on Sheik? The guy isn't attacking me anymore! It's alright! Goddess, what the hell is going on?" muttered Link as Sheik didn't seem to hear a word he was saying.

"_Now…I've had enough of people ruining my plans. So I think it's time to go to a place where no one can interfere, don't you think?" _asked the voice mockingly.

Sheik had to admit that this guy was frightening when he was actually being serious but what he said suddenly hit him. A place no one can interfere? So he was obviously trying to take them somewhere that would allow him free rein but that certainly wasn't a good thing for them.

Sheik looked back at Link's worried cerulean eyes and suddenly found resolve within them. Link couldn't fight yet…so getting trapped somewhere would certainly spell disaster for him.

_Time's up! Now don't be rude, you guys just got invited to a very private party, so you certainly shouldn't be late!" _said the voice before the pressure around his mind suddenly shifted.

Sheik felt his attacker ready his power and he knew by the recoil energy emitting from it that he wouldn't last but maybe a second before collapsing to the sheer force of it's might but he would not submit. Time to give this asshole a surprise of his own.

Sheik gripped Link's hand. "Complete the ritual…and stay safe," he then closed his eyes and gathered every ounce of his remaining power. He really hadn't tried this kind of thing before, but he's willing to try anything if it will knock this guy off his high throne even for a few seconds.

So he pinpointed where the core of the invading force was and teleported straight to it before throwing everything he had at him, including his recoil energy that he was sure would kill him once he landed. As long as this bastard got at least a punch to the face, then it would be worth it.

Link's eyes widened at what Sheik said before the Sheikah suddenly vanished. Link had to jerk his hand back as recoil energy shocked him. He fell backward and gasped. He recognized that power…

"Link! What happened? Link! Answer me!" exclaimed Saria as she gripped the front of Link's tunic before her eyes widened at the sudden feral look that sprung in Link's eyes.

"He's dead. If he even hurt's a hair on Sheik's head, that bastard is _dead_!" growled Link.


	24. Chapter 24

The Hooded Man sat in a newly bought golden dragon hide armchair reading a thick tome as his partner stood in the far corner of the room started to hum to himself. He finally looked up and raised an eyebrow when his small partner started to talk and laugh to himself. Perfect, so this little maniac was irritating _and _weird?

He rolled his eyes but jumped once a dark aura suddenly sprouted from all around the purple clothed man. He narrowed his eyes once he felt the pull of this magic. He was trying to send someone here! Was he crazy?

He hurriedly set his thick tome down and was storming his way over to his companion when suddenly the purple clothed man jumped as his dark magic began to spasm from all around him, making him stumble back several paces before suddenly a person came crashing into him.

The Hooded Man stood shocked for a moment as this person quickly jumped to their feet and stumbled back before catching sight of him.

"Sheikah…" The Hooded Man hissed before sending a bolt of holy energy shooting toward Sheik.

Sheik threw himself to the side, barely missing it before bolting down the nearest pathway between the bookshelves then started to run in random directions. He cursed once he realized something prevented him from teleporting and even using magic.

He flew around a corner and ran along the wall until he saw a window. He bolted toward it, thinking that as long as he saw something outside then he might be able teleport somewhere out there if he happened to find a blind spot in what he guessed was a ward around this place. He was almost there when he realized something. How was he still alive? This place mustn't have been that far from him then…

He skidded to a halt when the purple clothed man ran up and stood at the other side of the window. Sheik swung around when he heard the Hooded Man ran up from behind him. Quickly glancing out the window he cursed when he saw that they were too far up for him to jump out of it, unless he somehow survived a six story fall but he wasn't going to rely on his luck.

"Finally!…Didn't know you…could run so…fast…" wheezed the purple clothed man as he leaned on the wall for support, "But now it's over…so just…give up…" Sheik rolled his eyes but kept most of his attention on this new enemy that wore a black cloak with golden seams all around it because he didn't seem out of breathe at all and even was able to keep up with him, something that most Hyrulians could only dream of doing. Just who was this person?

Sheik narrowed his eyes when the Hooded Man raised a hand toward him but hesitated. He quickly glanced at his smaller enemy that still was currently in a long winded rant but noticed that he hadn't used any magic against him. He swung his head back toward the Hooded Man when he noticed movement and was puzzled when he shook his head at the smaller man when he raised a hand toward Sheik as well.

"What! What am I supposed to do if I can't use magic against him!" exclaimed the purpled clothed man angrily. Sheik quickly weighted his options and decided that the smaller one would be the easiest to get past so he spun around and jumped on the windowsill and reached for two daggers before hurling one toward the Hooded Man and the other toward what Sheik now guessed was actually his minion. The purple clothed man panicked and threw his arms up as dark magic sprung up from all around him, blocking the dagger from reaching its target but effectively knocking over several bookshelves and even breaking the window with its recoil energy but Sheik was surprised to find that the magic itself didn't hurt him at all.

The Hooded Man was easily protected by a light ward that sprung up to block the dagger sailing toward him but he quickly shouted for his partner to stop. Sheik quickly pulled out two other daggers and crouched in a defensive stance on top of the windowsill when the Hooded Man tried advancing toward him.

The Hooded Man looked torn as he glanced from Sheik to his smaller companion that now seemed to have trouble controlling his magic.

_The ward around this place seems built to repeal any kind of dark magic…_

The Hooded Man finally seemed to decide that Sheik needed to be taken care of first so he brought both his hands up and pointed them toward him. Sheik tensed as he saw the bright light that erupted from the Hooded Man and quickly decided that he would probably have a better chance surviving within an element that was already a part of his race so he turned toward the dark cloud of purple and black magic that was engulfing the whole area around the panicking smaller man and leapt toward it.

Sheik closed his eyes as he entered the mass of dark magic but the moment he touched it he suddenly felt like he had just come out of a hot spring, fully rejuvenated. It was crazy, but this little bastard's power actually heals him!

Sheik's feet hit the ground and he bolted away just when he heard the Hooded Man shout something at the smaller man but Sheik didn't stay around long enough to hear what it was. He sprinted down random pathways again and realized this place must be too important to them because they easily could have just trapped him with their power if they threw everything they had at him, especially if they were strong enough to block his natural abilities from him to begin with.

Sheik glanced behind him and noticed that no one was following him, so he slowed down and tried to find an exit. He kept his daggers ready to throw at a moment's notice while he crept forward.

Sheik tensed as he felt a powerful aura come close to him so he pivoted around and bolted the other way but gasped as the smaller man was standing in between the bookshelves blocking his escape.

"Ha! Thought you could get away-" but the smaller man gaped as Sheik leapt right over him and bolted to the right before sprinting down a corridor while the smaller man went running after him spitting insults the whole way. Why didn't he sense that little bastard's aura? It was definitely strong enough. He should be able to sense that kind of dark power from miles away!

Sheik continued to sprint down the corridor, praying to every goddess that his luck wouldn't cause a typical dead end to show itself. As he neared the end he cursed once he saw an upcoming wall and two doors on either side of it. He rushed to the one on the right and growled when he found it was locked so he jumped over to the other one and tried to turn the handle but hit his fist against the door when he realized it was locked, too.

He looked up toward the heavens and scowled. "Why must you all screw with me like this?" He spun toward the corridor once he heard footsteps but there wasn't anywhere to run this time so he took a deep breath to steady himself.

He glanced down at the floor as he leaned against the door and sighed when he saw the shadow extending from under the door. He closed his eyes, oddly comforted by the fact it was so near him. Everything he had ever read about his people said that shadows seemed to share a kinship to them.

Suddenly Sheik felt himself falling and hit several things on the way down before he landed hard on the cold stone floor of another corridor. He jumped up spinning in all directions but didn't see anyone. Taking a closer look around he saw that there were stairs that lead up right next to him or those that lead down that stood near the far end of the corridor. Well, since he just _fell _from somewhere then going up probably wasn't the best idea, so his best option was to go down.

He kept his daggers out, feeling much safer and then glanced up at the ceiling as he went past but didn't see an opening anywhere. So how did he get out of that dead end corridor?

He shook his head and continued to walk down the new corridor. He walked until he noticed several doors along the sides so he put away his daggers and tried to open them. Most were ether a storage closet or just empty but just to the right of the last door stood an archway that had the flight of stairs that went down.

Sheik frowned as he walked through the archway and noted how the stairs curved along the wall around it.

_A spiral staircase? Just how big was this place…?_

He really should be trying to find a way out and going even deeper probably would lessen the chance of that happening…

So he walked back into the corridor and tried the other rooms but they were also just storage closets or just empty while the last door was locked.

"Hmmm…this is interesting," muttered Sheik as he slid his hand along the designs that covered the locked door. He felt powerful wards on it. So this place was meant to be hidden? Or was there something hidden behind this door?

Sheik shook his head and turned from the warded door. Well, he was in no position to be treasure hunting so he started forward before noticing something strange. He backed up a few steps, trying to spot it again. He stopped suddenly and stared unbelievably at a small section of the wall that met the floor right in front of him. Was it just him or did a section of that wall just disappear?

Sheik straightened and walked forward but froze when he lost sight of it. He backed up again and it reappeared. He didn't sense any magic hiding it! He'd never encountered something that was able to be hidden from him before. He didn't think it was possible for something to be hidden from his race because of their gift to see and hear the truth. He suddenly remembered something his mother had told him…

"_To hide something in plain sight while using no magic is perhaps the greatest advantage the Mirage Effect has. There is no way to track something that is hidden by the Mirage Effect because there is nothing to track…it uses nothing but shadows. But I'm afraid I can't teach you that my dear…not too many of us were able to learn it to begin with. I've never even seen it being performed before, but no need to worry, as far as I know we are the only race capable of learning the Mirage Effect." _

But if we were the only ones able to learn it then…was there other Sheikah here?

Sheik quickly shook his head. That wasn't possible. If there were any of his kin here then it must have been before the Hooded Man came along.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared hard where the small hole in the wall was. It seemed he was only able to see it from a certain angle. He started forward again and the hole disappeared from sight but he crouched down to where he knew the small hole was and was surprised to find that when he reached forward, his hand went right through the wall.

He groped around until he found something that felt like a lever. He pulled it down and jumped when he heard something being moved. He straightened and looked around the corridor but didn't see anything different. Maybe it's something inside one of the rooms then?

Sheik walked to the broom closet that stood just to the right of the warded door and went inside. It still had the dusty shelves, wooden crates against the wall and a few brooms in the far corner…just like the last time he came in here. Then he noticed something was off about the pile of wooden crates in front of him. He'd never seen crates that were staked perfectly on top of each other like that, especially if put there by castle soldiers. He was quite certain this wasn't Hyrule's royal palace, but he'd seen the people that worked for some of the nobles and if there's one thing they had in common, it was the fact that they were lazy. So he strode forward and quickly climbed on top of the crates until he almost reached the ceiling.

As soon as he straightened, the section of the wall in front of him vanished and revealed a small boxed in space. He crawled inside it before sitting on his knees because the space was too small for him to sit up straight in.

There were different things littering the ground of the small space but what caught his attention were the drawings on the wall. They were messily put in random places, not really having a pattern at all. Some of animals, flowers, and some fat person holding what looked like a giant spoon, but on the wall in front of him he noticed two faces were drawn.

Both faces were round with red eyes and bright smiles but the one on the left had long black hair with a purple flower on the side while the right had short white hair that was spiked up like something had blown up in their face. Sheik's eyes widen when he realized something before he took a quick look around the small space. A few bottles full of strange different colored liquid's were stacked neatly in the right corner, a open tin box laid against the left wall full of dried flowers but the way they were arranged obviously meant that they meant something to the person that put them there while the ground around him laid what looked to him like handmade toys.

_There were children here at one point…but what happened to them?_

He picked up one of the bottles that had jet black liquid inside it that sat on top of the neat pile and tried to wipe the dust away from it before noticing that something was painted on the side.

_PCJ x 10 + RCJ x 1 + SS x 4.…..what in the world? Was this some kind of math problem?_

These obviously haven't been used in awhile…why were they hidden in this little space? What was that monster doing to them?

Sheik took a deep breath before balling his hands into a fist. To late again…these children were suffering while he sat at home worrying about what his next training lesson would be.

He took another quick glance around the little space and noticed that there weren't any clothes or food there. So was this place just a little hideaway spot for them? Maybe they finally got the courage to run then? Surely they weren't in a place like this willingly?

He sighed. Well, since they weren't here to take care of the things they worked so hard to make then he would have to do it for them.

He picked up each thing carefully and placed them within his suit. The last thing he picked up was the open box full of dried flowers in the left corner but he froze once he closed the lid. In the middle were the words _To Lady Lea _painted in fancy letters. The writing looked very similar to what was painted on the bottles…

_A girl…_

He had a feeling that the other child was male but he couldn't be sure, but he swore once he got out of here he would make sure Zelda was told about this place. Maybe there were other people here that knew what happened to them.

Sheik placed the tin box into his suit before turning to crawl back out of the small space but just before he leapt from the edge he noticed the thin groove in the wall to the left right of him. He leaned closer and peered into the dark groove. So this was what made the noise in the corridor…

Sheik leapt from the top and landed perfectly but stayed where he was for a moment before deciding that it was safe to reenter the corridor.

He walked along the wall to the right of the room until he spotted the hidden space on the floor. He dropped to his knees before reaching where he knew the lever would be and pulled toward him. He heard the sound of something moving again. He would at least make sure no one else came along and found the place these children claimed as their own.

Sheik stood up and turned toward the archway that lead to the spiral staircase .

"Well…no other choice now," muttered Sheik before walking over and descending down the stairs.

As he descended, he couldn't help but wonder how in the world those children were able to make a hole in the wall like that? It wasn't that big but not only managing to make it high enough that no one could just stumble into it but actually making a mechanism that allowed it to remain hidden even if someone did happen to be up that high? And at lest one of them was able to perform the Mirage Effect! Maybe someone was helping them? He hoped so, at least that would mean this place wasn't a complete nightmare for them…

He finally reached the bottom and passed through an archway before entering another library.

"Well, this was not what I was hoping for…" muttered the Sheikah. He sighed as he made his way over to the large bookshelves but noticed something different about this library. Sheikah had the natural ability to sense the aura's of people and that allowed them to know what kind of intensions they had and what kind of magic they specified in but here….it was like he sensed the magic but…that was it. No aura, no hostile or curious feelings. Even someone that tried to think of nothing would still have an aura!

Sheik walked closer to the books and his eyes widened as the feel of magic intensified the closer he got to them. Books with magic? He didn't know this sort of thing was even possible! How can books hold magic?

Sheik shook his head and just started to browse the selves as he walked along the lime green carpets that aligned the pathways between the bookshelves. Really…why such a bright and distracting color? Anything would be better than this sickly color.

He rolled his eyes before selecting random books that seemed to reach out to him. There were books on many different topics with some of them even being in different languages. He pulled one with a blue cover out and skimmed through it. He found that it spoke about the Zora people in detail, even explaining the slight differences between those of Hyrule and those from foreign places such as Termina. He'd never heard of a place called Termina before…

He placed it back in the selves and noticed other books like it, but they were different colors. He figured they must speak of the other races but he continued on until he found a shelf with numerous numbered green books. Selecting a random one, Sheik skimmed through it and found that it explained the properties of different kinds of plants, even telling how some could be used to make powerful potions or a deadly poison. Hmmm…this might be useful later…

Sheik closed the book and found that the cover said _Hyrule_. So each book must explain the properties of the plants from each country. Wow, since the smaller man seemed to be the minion, then this place must belong to the other man with the extremely bright aura.

Sheik placed the book within his suit. Normally, he would be totally against the very act of stealing but this time he could make an exception. He never encountered the Hooded Man before but if he was anything like the smaller one then he was lucky that he was taking them and not setting them all on fire.

He continued to browse until he noticed a table. Looking around, he realized that this was the center of this huge library. He sighed. Alright, it was time to get out of here. He could always teleport back here later once he'd informed Zelda of this place. He was about to pass the table when a strong presence of magic suddenly hit him.

Looking down at the desk, he noticed several books laying across its surface but one shimmering green one seemed to reach out to him. He walked up to it and suddenly was hit with several presences of magic that were of the same magnitude. He didn't find anything along its surface beside the one green book that even came close to what he was feeling. It seemed as though the other books that held the same force of magic were somewhere else, somewhere close by. Sheik couldn't see any of the other books as he scanned the bookshelves, but stopped when the green book seemed to pulse more magic towards him.

Sheik picked up the shimmering green book and tried to make out the writing on the cover but figured that it was in a different language. Yet as he skimmed through it, his eyes widened when every other page showed the image of a long haired woman dressed in green while being surrounded with plants, animals or magic while she appeared to be holding a bright green light.

Sheik took a deep breath to steady himself, but it was hard to stay calm now that he realized that he was probably within the home of the very person that was attacking the Goddess Farore. It had to be him! He'd never seen a book that spoke only of the Goddess of Life like this! You were lucky to find a paragraph on any of the goddess's even in the royal library! And the feel of the powerful magic this book gave off…he just knew that everything in this book was true.

Sheik jumped when a sudden shout of "_what_!" filled the room. He quickly stuffed the book within his suit then headed in the opposite direction of the shout. He strode down another pathway aligned with the sickly green carpet until he saw a latter against the wall that lead to a second level. It easily could hide him from view if he were to climb it…maybe he could pass right over them and get out of here while they searched the library for him?

It was worth a shot so he swiftly climbed the latter and quietly crept along the balcony while scanning the bottom level for any movement but also tried to stay as far from the rail of the balcony as he could. It wouldn't do him any good if they saw him waltzing toward the exit from the ground level.

He reached the other side but was suspicious of the fact that he didn't see anyone. But he did hear someone so he knew they were in here. Taking a deep breath, Sheik tried to think of a plan but suddenly jumped when his wrist started to burn. Glancing down at it, his eyes widened when he saw the small gold and green leaf symbol on his wrist start to shine brightly but he quickly covered it, hurriedly looking around to see if anyone saw him. He forgot to cover his wrist back up after they had finished creating the leaf symbol. Was all his small mistakes going to come back to bite him in the ass later?

Woody was trying to summon him back using the link he created with him, but he realized that the strong presences of the types of magic within the library were hindering the flow from reaching him. He just needed to get back to the corridor.

Sheik took one step before pain suddenly erupted from every cell within his body, making him shout out in pain and collapse on the floor.

"Finally found the rat…" muttered the Hooded Man. Sheik turned to glare at his attacker, but found that he couldn't see his attacker's face. The Hooded Man had his hand raised toward him but he realized that he wasn't putting all that much effort into the attack, like the magic in general was what hurt him the most.

The Hooded Man humphed before jerking his hand toward the right and Sheik flew in the same direction until he hit the railing of the balcony but the hooded man pressed forward still, making Sheik tip over the railing until he fell off the other side.

Sheik fell through the air until he cried out in pain as he hit the floor. He closed his eyes, trying to stay calm but the intense pain in his left arm that he was now sure was broken didn't help his cause. He quickly found that he was unable to move much. This guy's power must have paralyzed him!

Sheik could do nothing as the hooded man climbed slowly down the latter that stood not more than ten feet away from him. The Hooded Man finally reached him, and Sheik felt like someone was shoving him to his feet even though the other man wasn't touching him. So a controlling and paralyzing magic…and the presence was just…pure light. It was extremely rare to find someone able to harness this kind of raw power…

Sheik was dragged through the pathways, his feet barely touching the sickly green carpet beneath him but he had made sure to keep his shining wrist covered. He figured the only reason why he wasn't screaming in pain was because the magic Woody was attempting to use to send him back was also a light power but wasn't hostile toward him so it took away most of the impact from the magic.

"Finally! Can I kill him now? He so deserves it! Ignoring me like that-!" but the Hooded Man shushed his smaller partner before he looked in the direction that Sheik had first entered this place from. "Of course you went snooping…keep an eye on him," muttered the Hooded Man once he walked over to his partner before he went down the pathway that Sheik had originally. Sheik sighed, since it seemed the farther away the man got from him, the less it hurt.

He soon noticed that the smaller purple clothed man was scowling in the other man's direction.

"Bloody bastard…always bossing me around…" growled the smaller man. Sheik raised an eyebrow. A reluctant minion? Well this could be useful.

"You always listen to what your master says?" asked Sheik. The smaller man swung toward him with a growl.

"That poor excuse of a magic wielder is not my master! No one rules me!" spat the smaller man at Sheik. Perfect situation, he just needed to bend it to his advantage.

"Oh but of course, so you must take orders because you owe him? Or maybe you're just too weak to stand up to him? I feel sorry for you," said Sheik and tensed, as the smaller man suddenly pulsed with a dark aura. He was able to feel it now. Why couldn't he before?

Sheik's thoughts were cut short as the smaller man pointed a finger at him. "Weak! I'll show you how _weak _I am!" shouted the smaller man before a bolt of lightning came hurtling toward him. Sheik closed his eyes just before the bolt hit him but found that it only knocked him backward. The smaller man's dark magic seemed to have canceled out the light magic from the other man. Finally, something was working in his favor.

Sheik got on his knees and looked up at the smaller man that was grinning at him now.

"Is that all you got? I'm disappointed. A small shock from your master almost knocked me out but I barely felt that. Oh well…" muttered Sheik and readied himself once the smaller man balled his hands into fists.

"He isn't my master! You know what? That's it; you are going to pay for your disrespect! Since he didn't seem to find the time to obliterate you then I'll have to finish the job for him!" spat the smaller man before bringing his hands close together and gathering his magic to make a ball of dark magic but Sheik could feel the recoil energy from where he was, easily meaning that this small ball probably had the power of every attack that was ever throw at him tenfold.

"What in the world is-" started the Hooded Man as he rounded the corner but the smaller man suddenly shot the ball of dark energy right at Sheik. The Hooded Man cursed, but didn't expect Sheik to suddenly leap from the ground and dive out of the way, making it head straight for the Hooded Man instead.

The smaller man gaped as the Hooded Man hurriedly summoned a light ward that barely was able to materialize in time before the blast from the small ball of dark magic expanded before becoming a storm of chaotic wind magic that ripped many books to shreds within seconds while knocking over every bookshelf within range.

Sheik didn't waste a second to enjoy the sight of both villains gaping at the damage but bolted toward where he saw light pouring from the archway, hurriedly jumping and climbing over any obstacle in his way.

He heard shouting from behind him but didn't care enough to find out what they were saying. So he sprinted away, finally reaching a part of the library that wasn't in total disarray and soon recognized the tall archway of the exit before bursting through it and into the spiral staircase before climbing up it as fast as his legs would carry him. He dived toward the wall when he was almost hit with a bolt of holy energy and then stumbled forward when the stairs under him collapsed. He bolted forward again but almost was blown over the banister of the stairs when a gale suddenly erupted inside the narrow round room.

Sheik held the banister in a death grip before peering over the edge and saw that the Hooded Man was having just as much fun with this gale as he was but cursed once he noticed that the smaller man was climbing the spiral staircase like there was no wind at all. So he was some sort of wind mage…

Sheik used the banister to help in his climb but realized the smaller man would reach him before he even got half way there. So thinking quickly, Sheik took out one of his daggers and held it in his left hand. He couldn't throw it, even if there wasn't a gale blowing in his face because no one is good enough to land a good hit with a broken arm, and again, wasn't going to rely on his luck to get a lucky shot.

Sheik waited until the smaller man was almost a level below him before he gripped the railing and flipping himself over the side. He used the momentum to land on the level below instead of down the center where death would await him.

The smaller man never saw him coming until he had landed right on top of him, burying his dagger deep into his shoulder. The smaller man screamed in pain as he toppled to the ground and Sheik quickly rolled to the right side of him, making sure he was near the wall and acted like he was going to stab him, and like Sheik had hoped, he threw his arms up and attempted to blast Sheik away with his wind magic but was pushed against the wall, making him wince as he jolted his broken arm while the smaller man went sailing over the railing from the momentum of the blast.

The gale ceased as soon as the smaller man went tumbling over the banister, so Sheik bolted up the stairs, not wasting a second to see what had happened to him. He climbed up four more levels before finally bursting into the corridor and sighed in relief when he felt Woody's magic begin to surround him. The Hooded Man rushed into the corridor just before Sheik was teleported away but not before the Sheikah was able to show him what he thought of his hospitality by flipping him the bird.

* * *

Sheik appeared before Woody but then dropped to his knees and clutched his left arm with a sigh of relief. Arms were suddenly wrapped around him from behind.

"Goddess's I was so worried! Are you alright? What happened? What did they-" but Sheik quickly covered Link's mouth.

"I am fine. Well, mostly. But we have more important matters to discuss-" but Sheik was startled as he was suddenly lifted into the air. Link shifted him until he was carrying him bridal style.

Sheik was about to protest until he noticed that Link didn't seem to be in any pain at all.

"Your arm is healed?" asked Sheik. Link simply nodded as he walked out of Woody's groove. The giant tree guardian nodded to Saria before she went running after them.

"Yeah, we used the excess energy from the new ward and combined it with Woody and my magic to heal Link's arm then used the recoil energy to try and summon you back by riding the bond you made with Woody until we were finally able to connect the summoning magic to you. But I guess something was blocking the effect because it didn't work right away," said Saria as they entered the Kokiri Village. Sheik flushed as the forest children turned to watch as Link jumped along the small platforms until he passed the small pool in front of the entrance to Woody's groove.

"I can walk Link," muttered Sheik as he began to struggle but Link just held him tighter.

"Am I hurting you?" asked Link, startling Sheik with the sudden question.

"Well, no-"

"Then what's the big deal?" asked Link. Sheik sighed. They were already halfway through the village so it wasn't like getting down now would save his wounded pride…

"Besides, if I carry you then you won't be moving your arm that much. Yeah, I know what a broken arm looks _and _feels like so I knew about that right away," said Link as Sheik looked up to give him a surprised look. Sheik then just rolled his eyes as Link climbed the hill leading up to the entrance of the Lost Woods.

"I think if I can handle jumping from the banister of a stairway onto someone _else_, while almost being swept away by a galethen I'm sure I can handle walking just fine," muttered Sheik. Link looked down at him with a grin.

"Wow, you got to tell me what kind of trouble you got into," said Link laughing. Sheik couldn't help but chuckle before he began to retell his story.

* * *

"It wasn't my fault!" yelled the purpled clothed man as he sprinted down the corridor away from the now partly destroyed library while clutching his wounded shoulder.

"This entire disaster is your entire fault!" yelled the Hooded Man as he raced after him. The smaller man yelped as a bolt of holy magic hit the wall just to the right of him.

He spun around and raised an arm to summon another gale. The Hooded Man growled as it almost blew him over, but he quickly grounded his feet and raised his own hands to hurl a wave of his magic toward his smaller companion.

The wave pierced right through the gale and hit the smaller man right off his feet, making him fly backward until he hit the wall. The smaller man hissed in pain before struggling to his feet as the Hooded Man came storming toward him.

"You said no magic! So what was I supposed to do? Throw books at him?" exclaimed the smaller man as the Hooded Man approached him.

"You could have just alerted me that you found him! And then sat your bumbling destructive arse down while I took care of him because you can't seem to go five minutes without causing some kind of catastrophe! Do have any idea how much that library was worth? What kind of material it had?" yelled the Hooded Man.

"Ah…"

"I didn't think so. But so help me, you best get your behind down there and help clean that mess up! I want that place spotless when I get back!" exclaimed the Hooded Man but then seemed to notice the wound on the smaller man's shoulder, "Oh good god, you couldn't even get away without getting hurt? You'll be useless in that state so just get down there and I'll heal you when I join you," And then stormed away toward the locked door at the end of the corridor.

The smaller man glared at his retreating back as he went but paused as the other man said something and symbols appeared around the door before it opened to reveal a hallway where sunlight shone brightly through it.

"So, the holy ruffian wants this place hidden so much that he'll place light wards to prevent _anyone _from entering? Hmmm…I would have taken him to be the type to have a bunch of loyal minions to do his bidding…but then again…he doesn't seem to trust anyone," he glanced over at the entrance to the stairway of the partly destroyed library. "Maybe something in that dusty old room will finally shine some light on whoever this guy is? And more importantly, help me get back to my former god like power. It's so depressing…I expected that shadow ball to destroy at least half of that dusty old room,"

The smaller man walked over to the archway and was about to pass through it until he heard voices near the end of the hallway. He tilted his head curiously before leaning against the frame of the archway. He could tell the Hooded Man was the one in the doorway, but he couldn't tell who the other person he was talking to was.

The Hooded Man seemed finished with whatever he was saying so he shifted just enough for the smaller man to catch a glimpse of who he was talking to. The smaller man gawked and almost fell over when he saw this person. He quickly straightened and looked up again but the hooded man had already closed the door and was walking back over to him.

"What are you doing just standing here for?" growled the Hooded Man. The smaller man humphed.

"Who was that?" said the smaller man sharply. He swore…if this was some kind of joke they were playing on him…

"None of your business. Now, some servants will join you shortly but you get down there and get to work but I swear, if you mess up so much as a page of another book, you'll wish the Hero's of old had obliterated you," said the Hooded Man before heading back up toward the smaller library but paused and looked back over his shoulder. "And we will talk about the stunt you pulled that began this whole charade later. Now I will be right back," then gold symbols appeared around him before warping him away.

The smaller man grumbled as he went down the spiral staircase while he used his wind magic to help get passed the few places where there wasn't anything to walk on. That was entirely that fools fault! If he hadn't been throwing his magic around like that then he would have surely been able to trap that shadow walker! But of course not. He's _always _right and wouldn't admit otherwise even if the truth was dancing a jig around his head!

But the one he was talking to…surely he was seeing things…that person couldn't have been…no it couldn't have. Surely the very person they were after wasn't secretly helping them? What the in the world was this guy up to?

* * *

Link sighed as he leaned up against a tree trunk. He glanced at Sheik, who, after a ten minute battle of him trying to get his stubborn guide to settle down and just let him take care of his injury, had finally laid down near the water of the warp pool.

He had to admit though, Sheik may not look very strong but he sure as hell didn't ever want to be on the receiving end of his wreath…it was hard enough having to deal with the punch or four he had just got from the Sheikah. And Sheik wasn't even _trying _to hurt him then! He now almost felt sorry for the few creatures they had faced for he _knew _they had gotten way more than just a punch. _Almost_.

Link leaned his head back and looked up at the blue sky while he rested the bottom of his right foot against the trunk of the tree.

_Another main boss, huh? And this guy we've been running into isn't even him…though the more I think about it, the more I'm sure that I've seen this guy before. I swear it's like I want him to shut up before he even starts talking, like I just know that the only thing that's going to come out of that mouth is more monologues. But I'm sure I've never met this guy before he attacked my hometown…I would remember someone like him for sure. _

"Link, come here. I forgot to show you something," said Sheik suddenly. Link looked over and saw Sheik trying to fish something out of the folds of his body suit. He walked over and sat down next to the Sheikah just when he pulled out a shimmering green book.

"Can you read this?" asked Sheik as he pointed to the cover. Link leaned over and looked at the cover but saw nothing but what looked like chicken scratch to him.

"Nope," said Link, not even thinking about saying what he really thought, not after what almost happened the last time he did, "I can feel something from it though…"

"You can sense its magic as well? Hmmm, perhaps Zelda will know how to read it? You both have similar power sources," muttered Sheik before he thought of something.

"Would Saria be able to read this? Surely she would have seen this kind of writing in the past?"

"It's possible, but her and Woody are busy doing something with the ward right now so I think we should wait to ask her," said Link.

"What? When did she leave?" asked Sheik. He could have sworn that she was there helping Link pin him down not more than ten minutes ago…

"Pretty much right when we both started that fight over that broken arm of yours. I won of course, but it was nice of her to keep those vines up to aid me," said Link grinning at the glare that Sheik shot him. Of course…he should have known. Saria may be a Sage of legend but she was also a child…

"_Anyway_, I think this book speaks of the Goddess Farore. Yes, I'm certain of it now because the magic I sense from this book is exactly like yours," said Sheik as he skimmed through the book, "We need to find someone that can read this. It may tell us what is happening to the Goddess and maybe even how to stop it,"

"Like we said, Saria might know but if she doesn't well…I guess we could ask Shad? Now that I think about it, I need to ask him about the next temple anyway," said Link thoughtfully. Sheik scowled as he tried to find the other objects he'd found in that place. He was sure, like every adventure, that the journey would only get harder as they went along so he wasn't looking forward to whatever was awaiting them. Especially if what they had to deal with in the Forest Temple would just intensify with each temple…

"Do you know what any of these are?" asked Sheik as he pulled out several objects from his body suit.

Link tilted his head as Sheik begun to place the objects in front of him. Most looked to him like little knick-knacks such as the few he had saved while he was growing up, but then he pulled out a few bottles with strange designs painted on the side of them on them.

Link noticed many of the bottles were filled with different things. He picked up a bottle filled with a purple substance and popped the cork off.

"This one looks _and _smells like a bunch of stuff mixed with Purple Chu Jelly, though I have no idea what could be mixed with it," muttered Link before sticking his tongue out because of the rotten smell of the potion and quickly put the cork back on, "I would definitely not drink this. Purple Chu Jelly normally has a random effect on your health if you drink it but I've learned that the stronger the smell, the stronger the effect. What kind of effect normally determines if the smell is pleasant or horrid like this sucker here," he then set down the bottle of purple sludge.

"That was very…detailed. I take it that you ran into these tings a lot?" asked Sheik. Link shrugged.

"Yeah most kind's of Chu's can be found almost anywhere but the most useful one's I saw were within hidden places or inside temples. The detailed thing comes from being part wolf I guess. I mean, the change did hone my senses," said Link as he looked at the other bottles. Sheik blinked several times. He had forgotten about the wolf thing…

Link grinned as he picked up a bottle full of a sparkling golden substance.

"Oh my Goddess…where did you find this stuff? Rare Chu Jelly is super hard to find!" exclaimed Link before he noticed something else, "Wait…there's stuff mixed in here to? What did they do to it! I've never mixed anything else with this stuff so I have no idea what it will do. Hell, maybe it's ten times stronger than normal or maybe one sip will turn me into some kind of rabid monster," Link took a closer look at the Rare Chu Jelly before gripping the cork of the bottle.

"This isn't some random potion we bought. It belongs to someone and if they are still with us…then I will make sure that these find their way back to them," growled Sheik as he snatched the bottle back from Link before he could open it.

_Oh right…the children. It was difficult to imagine because he doesn't know what it is, it's like to be part of a dying race but he felt really bad…he didn't mean to disrespect the memory of Sheik's people…_

"Hey, I didn't mean any harm, okay? I can't even image what you're going through but you have to understand how rare this stuff is…it's one of the strongest natural boosters in existence next to Great Fairy Tears so if these kids were able to get their hands on this and then make a mixture that made it stronger then these are some pretty smart kids. I just thought it would be a waste to let it sit there because Rare Chu Jelly loses its magic boost over time and so _when _we find them there's a good chance it's just going to be a bottle of shiny liquid. But hey, I understand if it's just the principle you want to preserve I just thought we shouldn't let their hard work go to waste…" said Link as he put a hand on Sheik's shoulder.

"We? You don't have to help, it's not your problem," said Sheik as he looked up at him. Link rolled his eyes and then pulled him into a one armed hug.

"Hey, I'm going to help you because that's what friends do, regardless of the fact if it concerns me or not," said Link with a grin, "And I'm pretty good at multitasking so we can look for these kids while trying to save the world, no sweat," Sheik smiled softly.

"Thank you…" said Sheik but then glanced up once Link started to snicker at him.

"So…even though you seem to like it, I think you should at least bath and I'll ask Beth if she has any stuff that smells only of vanilla?" asked Link and laughed at the shocked expression in Sheik's eyes before he quickly had to shield himself from the Sheikah as he dropped the bottle before he hurled himself at Link.

They tumbled around in the grass laughing as one tried to pin the other down.

"You got lucky when Saria helped but she's not here now!" exclaimed Sheik as he locked his legs around Link's chest and pinned his right arm.

"You're the one that's run out of luck!" exclaimed Link as he put Sheik in a head lock with his free arm.

They continued to roughhouse until Sheik had a stroke of luck when Link yelped and jerked away laughing when he tried to grip the Hero's side and flip him over.

"Oh, so the mighty Hero of Twilight is ticklish?" said Sheik as he grinned though Link just saw the mischievous look in his eyes. Link grinned back before flipping himself backward and jumping away from the Sheikah but was amazed when Sheik was still able to get a hold of his right hand.

Link was about to rush Sheik but the Sheikah seemed to have decided that he didn't want to try and match Link in strength so he swiped the cap from Link's head before leaping away.

"Oh, no you didn't," said Link before bolting toward Sheik but the Sheikah easily side stepped just out of his reach and took off in the opposite direction, laughing the whole way.

Sheik continued to sprint throughout the Lost Woods, glancing behind him as he went through the many giant hollow logs and always found the Hero at his heels but never close enough to get a hold of him.

"Damn! How did you get this fast!" exclaimed Link as he raced after Sheik when he darted toward the left.

"Because I'm good like that! But the rigorous training throughout my whole life did help!" exclaimed Sheik laughing before darting toward the right. Link raced after him but skidded to a halt once he passed through the hollow log and found that Sheik just disappeared.

"Oh hell no you did not just teleport away," muttered Link as he walked into the clearing.

"And what if I did?" asked a voice to the right of him. Link spun toward it and rolled his eyes when he spotted Sheik sitting on the edge on a high stone archway.

Link strode over to where Sheik's legs were hanging over the edge but didn't make a move to grab them. He peered closer at the stone archway and suddenly a memory flashed before his eyes.

_Huh? Everything was made of rock…similar to how the room where he wiped the floor with Gor Coron when he challenged him to a Sumo Wrestling Match…_

"Link? What did you see?" asked Sheik curiously.

"I think…I think this is another warp location," said Link as he continued to peer at the large stone archway.

_Where would it lead to? Have I been there?_

Sheik jumped off the edge and approached Link. The Hero immediately noticed that he wasn't holding his cap.

"Hey! Where's my cap!" exclaimed Link.

"You'll get it back soon," said Sheik as he examined the large stone archway.

"But I feel naked without it…" whined Link.

"How sad for you," said Sheik as he peered closer and noticed writing on the side of the archway but overall, it was pretty plain looking. "You look better without it anyway," Sheik blinked, finally realizing what he just said.

"Is that so?" asked Link as he tilted his head and turned toward Sheik, "I always thought the cap went with the whole _Great Hero _thing but I'm still attached to it but I have self restraint. Keep it. Won't bother me none," said Link as he folded his arms casually.

"Right, that's why you chased me through the Lost Woods," said Sheik.

"Hey, there were several reasons that played into that factor but mainly it was just the thrill of chasing you," said Link before playfully slapping Sheik's back, making him stumble forward, "Now, time to show the real Great Hero trait!"

"And what's that?" grumbled Sheik.

"Being reckless!" exclaimed Link before bolting through the large stone archway.

"Link!" yelled Sheik startled before sprinting after him. He swore…if there was the slightest hint of danger in here then he would kill the Hero himself!


	25. Chapter 25

Wow, this took a bit longer then i expected but it did make me rethink the plotline i had goin & then that suddenly made me see a snag in it. So, i went & remade alot of it & now it has a new ending.

Anyway, happy late Christmas guys! And i'll try & hurry the next chapter along!

* * *

Sheik sprinted into the stone archway and rammed headlong into Link's back, making him stumble forward.

"What-!" exclaimed Sheik as he jumped back as Link fell face first to the ground and drew his daggers before spinning around, expecting a horde of monsters to be attacking them.

"Sheik! Calm down! There's nothing here!" Link exclaimed as he rolled over and sat up. "I thought there would be but it's just some invisible wall. … How boring, I was looking forward to some action."

"What! You came running in here looking for danger! Are you trying to get yourself killed!" shouted Sheik once he realized there was no one there but them.

"Hey, if I hadn't run in here, then we wouldn't know what was here to begin with. Saved us some time since we do have things to do," said Link as he finally picked himself up off the ground.

"Those things can't be done if you're dead! Would it kill you be a little more cautious?" grumbled Sheik as he sheathed his daggers. "And what do you mean invisible wall-" but just when he said it, Sheik glanced behind Link and saw what looked like red glass blocking their path.

"I guess you see it now?" said Link before turning and walking up to where he thought the wall was and reached out to set his left hand against it.

"I ran right into it once I got here and then almost ran into it _again _when you ran into me. Thanks for rushing to my aid but it was unnecessary," said Link as he turned around to look at the Sheikah. Sheik grabbed a hold of the front of Link's tunic, intending to trounce the now slightly fearful Hero but they suddenly froze when they heard a strange sound.

"Goro?"

Link lowered his head to see passed the arm he had thrown up to shield his face and stared at the Goron that was standing in front of them.

Sheik also was rather shocked but more so that yet another possible threat had escaped his notice. How did that Goron get there without either of them noticing!

"Did I pass goro?" asked the Goron. Link and Sheik continued to stare at him until Sheik finally snapped out of it.

"Who are you?" asked Sheik as he stepped in front of Link. He hadn't had very much experience with the Goron race but he did remember what his mother had told him. Like how they were immensely powerful and nearly indestructible and Link didn't seem to know this one.

"What do you mean goro? Is this a test, too goro? I-I I don't what to say goro! No one said anything about verbal tests goro!" exclaimed the Goron nervously.

"What are you talking about? What test?" asked Link before laughing when he noticed how tense Sheik was so he threw an arm around his shoulders. "Obviously there's some misunderstanding going on here so let's start over. This here's Sheik, my partner in crime, and I'm Link. I'm pretty familiar with the…Goron's of…Death Mountain…" But Link stopped talking when the Goron suddenly had a look of utter shock on its face. "Are you ok…?"

"They…they had the Great Hero himself meet me here to conclude my test goro? Oh my Goddess! Oh my Goddess! This is the most epic journey ever _goro_!" exclaimed the Goron excitedly as it bounced around the narrow tunnel. "No wonder it's so hard to pass this test goro!"

"Wait, wait, wait! You got it all wrong! I'm not here on purpose! I just sorta stumbled in here," exclaimed Link as he put his hands up and tried to calm the overly excited Goron with gestures once he remembered that something blocked him from going farther into the tunnel.

"Yeah right…" muttered Sheik before sighing and facing the Goron standing before him. "Since you keep mentioning this test of yours then I assume that you have a purpose for being here. We do not I'm afraid. _Someone_," Sheik shot a glare at Link, "decided that he just wanted to find out how much effort and time it would take to drive his _partner in crime _insane with his thirst for danger."

"Hey, if anything it's a thirst for action! What's so wrong with spicing up my life a little? It's not like I'm running headlong into a horde of Bulblins or a group of Darknuts!" exclaimed Link as he stepped back and pointed a finger at Sheik. The Sheikah rolled his eyes.

"With action comes danger and how did you know one of those things _wouldn't _be waiting for you on the other side of this warp point?" asked Sheik shortly.

"What do you mean? Why would there be a warp point in the Lost Woods that could possibly have hundreds of enemies waiting on the other side? Woody wouldn't endanger the kids like that," said Link shortly.

"I don't know, maybe because it's the _Lost Woods_? No enemies would have found them to begin with! But wait…if you thought there wasn't anything exciting on this end of the warp point then why rush in at all?" exclaimed Sheik.

"Why not?" exclaimed Link.

"Because it's dangerous! You didn't know what was on the other side! If you must find something to take your stress out on or just to beat up at least make sure you can see it! At least then I'll know that some kind of monster isn't picking you out of its teeth!" exclaimed Sheik angrily before shaking his head, remembering how pointless it was to argue with this man. "Alright. Enough of this. We're just wasting time now so what is it you would like to do now that you have figured out what's here?"

"I don't want to do anything," grumbled Link before folding his arms defiantly. "After all, it might be _dangerous _if we stay here in this tiny tunnel that won't let us move forward," he then turned and stormed toward the warp portal.

"What? Where are you going!" exclaimed Sheik but the Hero just continued to storm away until he vanished from sight.

_He did not just walk away from me! What was the point of coming in here then!_

"Are you guys having a fight goro? I always hated having fights with my friends…all you can do is forgive and forget because people make mistakes but then again…it is kinda hard to when your so near the Goron's Ruby, especially nowadays goro. I don't remember the Elders saying that it had all these sparks coming off it before goro…" muttered the Goron.

Sheik was about to just turn and hunt down his stubborn partner because that was just plain rude! He had just been concerned when the Hero just ran into some unknown area without as much as a bat of an eyelash!

Then something caught his attention…

"Goron's Ruby? What is that?" asked Sheik. Link would be fine for now and he most likely wasn't up to talking to him now anyways.

"You don't know goro? It's this shiny red stone that's been part of my race's culture for…a long time goro. The Elders were always talking about it but…it's been acting kinda weird lately goro. Or maybe it's just having a bad day goro?" said the Goron thoughtfully.

_How can a stone have a bad day…?_

"Ah, alright…my friend may be having a bit of an issue right now but he was interested in entering this place. May we come in if I bring him back?" asked Sheik. The Goron scratched the small tuft of hair on its head.

"I don't think it works like that goro…" said the Goron.

"What do you mean?" asked Sheik as he stepped closer to the red glass like ward.

"Well, I think you-" but they both jumped back when the ward flared once Sheik had placed a hand against it.

The Goron could see the protective magic randomly flare and snap out of no where at Sheik but the Sheikah could only just stand there as the once peaceful ward suddenly became like molten lava.

Sheik was shaken from his daze when the ground in front of him started to hiss and crack as smoke rose from where it touched the ward.

_Oh dear Goddess…! It's not just looking like molten lava! It's becoming molten lava! What! That isn't possible! Wards can't just transform into something solid like that!_

But the protective magic started to hit the surrounding walls around it, making them crack and collapse as the ward began to spasm before lava suddenly erupted from its surface and flowed straight for Sheik.

"Run!" shouted Sheik to the stunned Goron on the other side before pivoting around and sprinting out of the heated tunnel.

Sheik burst out of the stone archway and immediately teleported into the tallest tree he saw but panicked when it felt like a web had sprung up to block his path, effectively hindering his teleporting ability before he crashed into the trunk of the tree. He immediately grasped at whatever was in reach to stop him from falling and struggled to pull himself onto a wide branch. He crotched down and warily watched the stone archway below, wondering if what was inside was the cause of the sudden disruption in his escape.

He hadn't seen Link anywhere and for once he was glad for that. Sheik wasn't stupid though, he certainly wouldn't stay in a tall wooden object when _lava _was approaching him but he really didn't have a choice anymore. Up here was better then down there at the moment, at least as far as he was concerned. Once he was able to see the full flow of it, then he could quickly situate the damage before warning Woody.

So he waited…and waited… but nothing came.

_Lava does not flow that slowly…_

"What'cha waiting for?" asked a voice beside him suddenly. Sheik jumped and shouted out in surprise as he almost fell off the wide branch he had perched himself on but an arm shot out and caught him.

"Sorry about that, didn't mean to startle you! But your stare was so intense that I couldn't help but be curious!" exclaimed Dude as he pulled Sheik back toward the branch but the Sheikah immediately backed away and flatten himself against the trunk of the tree.

"You-what…! _How did you get up here! _I didn't hear so much as a ruffling leaf!" exclaimed Sheik. Dude laughed at the shocked expression in Sheik's eyes.

"Well, that's most likely because I didn't climb up it," said Dude cheerfully.

"What! So you can teleport! I thought as much…," muttered Sheik.

"Oh no, that takes to much effort for me because, as the Kokiri say, I'm a lazy bum. So I tend to cut corners sometimes, but it's completely safe, let me assure you! For both the user and those around him," said Dude before chuckling at the astonishment that shone within Sheik's eyes.

_If he didn't teleport or climb then how in the world did he get up here…? And so silently!_

"What are you doing here?" asked Sheik finally once he regained his baring.

"Oh! Right, I almost forgot!" exclaimed Dude before he reached behind himself and pulled his enormous bag in front of him.

_Where did that come from? Dude hadn't been holding anything!_

And then pulled out a bottle full of a familiar golden liquid and tossed it to Sheik. "You'd best thank your lucky stars that I tripped over that thing or someone would have surely swiped it! That's some pretty valuable stuff you got there so you best take better care of it," said Dude as he waved a finger at Sheik.

Sheik caught it and looked down at the swirling golden liquid. How could he have been so careless…?

"Thank you, ah Dude," said Sheik, hesitating over the name he had always thought of as slang. "Oh, and I was just watching that archway because…um…this almost sounds crazy now, but I was watching it because originally I was chased out of it by lava…" Dude gave him a look of surprise before turning to peer at the archway below them.

"You mean out of there?" asked Dude as he pointed to the archway. Sheik nodded. "Oh, that's not possible. Every portal in this forest will not allow anything dangerous to pass through it. I think it transports it somewhere else…I can't remember though…"

"Oh that's perfectly fine. I'm just glad it can't get here. The damage that would have done…but I can't see a reason why that ward would react to me once I touched it when I had been standing not more then a few feet away from it for at lest ten minutes…" muttered Sheik as he finally relaxed and moved until he was sitting on the branch he was perched on.

"There was a ward in there?" asked Dude as he stepped carefully over to the trunk of the tree and leaned against it, "She's angrier then I thought…" Sheik was confused on who Dude was referring to until he started to walk toward the trunk of the tree so he was about to offer to hold Dude's enormous bag as he went past but suddenly noticed that it was gone.

"Did your bag drop?" asked Sheik as he leaned forward to peer through the branches below him. Okay, his power of observation may have been a little off lately but he was sure that he would have caught the sound of that giant bag tumbling out of a tree…

"Oh no, I just put it away for now," said Dude as he picked an acorn from the branch above him and began twirling it between his fingers. "Now! Though I admire your determination, I'm afraid that the shortcut to Goron City is not available for anyone but the Fire Sage at this point in time," said Dude. Sheik stopped the confused search for the missing bag once he noticed it wasn't on Dude's back and narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know that? How do you even know so much about this forest when all outsiders have gone mad when they had wandered in here?" asked Sheik suspiciously once he remembered a rumor about the curse of the Lost Woods.

"People don't go mad when they wander in here! I've been coming here for a long time and I'm just fine," said Dude as he rolled his eyes. "It's only when you get _lost _that you go mad and become a monster! All one has to do is know where he is going."

"How can you know where your going if the only people that know this forest live inside it?" exclaimed Sheik. Dude chuckled as he tossed the acorn in the air and caught it with his other hand.

"I don't live here," replied Dude casually. Sheik ran a hand down his face in frustration.

_He's impossibly frustrating! It's like dealing with a strange loopy version of Link! How many spin offs does that man have! _

Sheik looked back up as Dude continued to lean back against the trunk of the tree, completely oblivious to the glare the Sheikah was giving him. Sheik then blinked confusedly when he noticed that Dude now had his arms up with his hands resting behind his head.

_Where did that acorn go? I had looked away for maybe a few seconds! _

The Sheikah just shook his head. Not even bothering to ask about the other mans spontaneously disappearing objects. He stood up and stretched his legs before turning sideways to glance at Dude.

"I really should go find Link before he gets himself into trouble. Hopefully he still isn't angry…that will make it that much harder to talk to him…," muttered Sheik as he turned to peer over the edge of the branch he was standing, deciding where to teleport before remembering what happened earlier so decided to just climb down.

"Well I'm sure it was worn off by now-oh, I'm sorry! I just keep startling you today don't I?" asked Dude as he chucked from his new perch on a branch just above Sheik.

The Sheikah pressed his hand against his heart as he straightened from his near death fall.

_How did that man get from leaning casually against that tree trunk to perching on a branch conveniently right above me in less then a second…!_

"But as I was saying, it should have worn off by now. Just be more careful when you two approach the Spiritual Stone of Fire next time, alright?" asked Dude.

"The what?" Sheik asked cautiously.

"It is part of a three piece set as I like to call them. The other two are the Spiritual Stones of the Forest and Water. They will each affect the Hero of Twilight in different ways, depending on which one he encounters," said Dude before pointing at the archway below them. "In there, you two encountered the Spiritual Stone of Fire or also known as the Goron's Ruby. Its source of power comes directly from the Goddess Din and, therefore, her legendary temper will influence him to the point of rage, though it will start off small. I severely suggest getting the Spiritual Stone of the Forest or the Kokiri's Emerald first before going after the Spiritual Stone of Fire,"

Sheik's mind was reeling with this new information.

_Something else to look for…?_

"So, if Link is within the presence of the Spiritual Stone of Fire then it will influence him and slowly throw him into a rage? How will getting the other two help if they are going to influence him as well?" asked Sheik as he reached up to grasp a branch above him to steady himself.

Dude chuckled before tapping his right temple with his index finger.

"It's all up here. Our mind is the control center for everything we do, but just because something may influence its actions doesn't mean it's going to work any differently. If you're going up against something that magnifies angry thoughts, then why not already have something that influences happy thoughts? The two opposing emotions might just balance each other out," replied Dude before straightening and gripping the branch that stood just to the right of him and swung down onto the wide branch that Sheik stood on.

"That...makes sense," grunted Sheik as he gripped the branch above him tighter to keep from getting bounced off the branch he was standing on as Dude landed on it. "So, I'm assuming that you suggested obtaining the Spiritual Stone of the Forest because it influences happy thoughts then?"

"Well as a rule yes, but they do tend to represent other emotions at times. But only if portrayed by the Goddess's themselves. This most likely will not happen though, or at least very rarely, at first. For the monster that is disrupting the balance of the world is causing imbalance among the Three themselves and that in turn will make, well, pretty much everything spiral into chaos," replied Dude bitterly. Sheik was curious since this was the first time he had heard such a harsh tone come from the normally deliriously happy man.

"The emotions anger, happiness, and sadness will be the prominent emotions portrayed within the Spiritual Stone's unless, of course, a certain other emotion is strongly felt by one of the Goddess's which will cause it to filter down into the Stone that match's the Goddess it came from. As the world worsens, then I'm afraid this will start to happen more often. I dearly hope it does not reach this point, but if you both are not able to succeed through your journey in time before this bastard is able to successfully take down Farore…then you must destroy the Spiritual Stone of the Forest," said Dude harshly. His eyes seemed to flash and Sheik was startled when a wave of magic suddenly reached his senses but it vanished before he could trace it. Dude was the only one here…

"Destroy it? Is that really necessary? Surely, because of its namesake, that it is cherished by the Kokiri?" asked Sheik hesitantly. Dude closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. Sheik shifted nervously in front of him as he just stood there with his head bowed before Dude finally raised his head.

"Yes…they do cherish it, but the stone is just a pretty object. Something like that can be replaced…Link can not," said Dude softly. Sheik was just about to say how offensive that would be toward the people that had that _pretty object _for their whole lives. But the sounds around him seemed to deaden when he heard the last part of what he had said.

"What do you mean…?" asked Sheik hesitantly. Why would a stone connected to the Goddess of Life, the source of the Hero's power suddenly be a threat to him? He also had a fleeting thought of the fact that that was the first time Dude hadn't called Link by his title…

"…Even though there might no longer be a Goddess there to send these feelings…it won't mean that the Spiritual Stones will simply become dormant. No, they will just find another source of the same power to feed off of," said Dude. Sheik was confounded.

_What…? Another source of the same power? What has the same power of a Goddess!_

"I-I don't understand. What can be as strong as a one of the Three?" asked Sheik.

"Not what is as _strong _as them but what is made of the same _essence _as them," corrected Dude and Sheik could only reply with a wild look of puzzlement. "Us."

That short answer just seemed to throw his overloading brain into overdrive.

"Pardon…?" asked Sheik finally.

"Everything that exists today is here because of them. They made us. From the tallest tree, to the smallest rock. From the strongest nation, to the smallest village, they made us all. Therefore, their essence exists within us, the world itself," replied Dude before balling his hand into a fist and pressing it against the trunk of the tree that Sheik didn't even remember him walking toward. "And that is why the Spiritual Stone of the Forest must be destroyed because unlike now, where as long as he isn't in its presence, it won't affect him. But once Farore isn't…isn't there to act as a safeguard then everyone's emotions, and I mean _everyone's _from all over the world, is going to filter down through the link he has with Farore. The sheer force from that many emotions will drive him, if not immediately, to insanity. And there's nothing that will protect him against it except destroying the Spiritual Stone."

"What about…the other…Spiritual Stones?" asked Sheik hesitantly. He almost didn't want to know, but it was his job to keep Link safe from any possible threat and that certainly didn't exclude going insane.

"He can safely ignore the flow from those two by not having anything that connects him to the Goddess that is connected to each Spiritual Stone. I suppose an example would be that spell he just obtained recently, Din's Fire, connects him with Din, and that in turn, connects him with the Spiritual Stone of Fire or Goron's Ruby," said Dude before finally lowering his fist and turning to face Sheik. "It seems like an unnecessary risk to get these stones but let me assure you. You will need them in the end. They are the only way to communicate with the Three from the mortal realm,"

"They realize the danger these Spiritual Stones can be for us and that is why they were given to those that they trusted would keep them safe and away from those that would use them for evil-doing. What is happening now is that the stones are performing a sort of defensive mechanism. If a possible threat approaches the ward the Spiritual Stone's have erected around themselves then the primary emotion they represent will magnify so much that it will become solid, such as the presence of anger within Din filtered down into the Goron's Ruby and became lava, hence, the reason you can not enter the shortcut to Goron City at the moment. You can imagine that the other Goddess's will take precautions since I'm sure the villain that is causing this mayhem will not stop with the downfall of just one of them…" muttered Dude angrily.

Sheik's eyes widened when that same wave of power hit his senses, though it was stronger then the last surge, and he immediately reached out his own magic but jerked it back when the holy surge of power suddenly burned him as if he'd thrown himself into a wild fire before disappearing like it never existed to begin with. He traced the flow and could only stare in shock as it lead straight to Dude.

"W-who are you? Really? That kind of raw power is rare in people-" Sheik suddenly stopped talking once he realized what he just said. He had said something like that before...had _sensed _something like that before…

"What's wrong?" asked Dude worriedly as Sheik continued to stare in shock.

_It's him…!_

Sheik suddenly stumbled away from him until a loud snapping sound made him jump before he felt the branch below him start to fall since it he moved where it could no longer support his weight. He panicked as he began to fall through the air before thinking of Link and closed his eyes and teleporting away. The Sheikah then panicked even more when the familiar web sprung up to hinder his teleporting ability, making him spiral out of control before he felt someone wrap their arms around him and suddenly he was sprawled out on the grass beside someone else.

As soon as he recognized the long green cape, Sheik wrenched himself away from the loosened hold Dude had over him before jumping to his feet and spinning to face him with a fierce look within his eyes. Dude sat up but remained sitting on the floor with a confused but worried look on his face as Sheik backed away from him.

"What happened?" asked Dude.

"Don't play dumb! I felt it! That wave of your magic and how did you even catch me when I was still teleporting!" exclaimed Sheik as he quickly glanced to his sides to confirm that he had available exits before glaring back at Dude when he finally rose from the ground. "You think you could weasel your way in here and trick us? My Goddess, you almost did…"

"I don't understand-" but Dude suddenly gasped and twisted with inhuman speed to avoid the dagger that went sailing passed him when he had tried approaching Sheik, surprising the Sheikah since that was almost point blank range.

"Stay away from me! You bastard! Did you really think I wouldn't recognize your magic!" exclaimed Sheik as he summoned the fallen dagger back to him before quickly pulling out another one and held them ready to strike.

"Well, I would hope so. You've been using a potion that's been infused with it for a few days now," said Dude as he backed away but kept his hands up, showing he meant no harm, "but why the sudden hostility?"

"Enough with your games!" exclaimed Sheik before narrowing his eyes. "I'm ending this right now."

"I think there's some kind of misunderstanding here…" said Dude hesitantly.

Sheik ignored him though. He was on their turf now so the advantage was in his favor!

The Sheikah stressed his magic and gathered Woody's magic from around him but gasped as the old magic of the Lost Woods came with it. He's never handled this much power before…!

"Sheik?" asked Dude hesitantly as he watched the area around the Sheikah glow brighter by the second.

"Sheik! Are trying to handle light magic? Don't! You're not-" but Dude's desperate plea was suddenly interrupted by several things.

Sheik growled and gripped a hold of the borrowed magic and then hurled it at Dude just about the same time Link suddenly walked through the hollowed log right behind Sheik.

Dude seemed more worried about Sheik's newly gained magic then the surge that was suddenly thrown at him since he just raised a hand toward it but he was stunned into silence when Link suddenly showed up.

Sheik watched as Dude raised a hand toward the wild surge that flew at him but cursed when it seemed to evaporate just before hitting him. He jumped when he suddenly heard a painful scream from behind him.

Spinning around, Sheik gasped as Link fell to his knees and clutched his chest in pain. The Hero began to tremble as he closed his eyes and seemed to be focusing every ounce of his willpower to stay silent.

Dude's face was ashen when Sheik spun back around to give him a lethal look but then snarled when Dude started to hurriedly stumble backward. Sheik immediately threw his own magic around Dude, using it to gather the old magic from all around him, but ignored the slight burning sensation when he raised his hands and surrounded Dude with it.

Sheik imagined hundreds of chains that linked together and before him, his magic began to morph into the cage he was creating within his mind while the old magic of the forest followed it. He extended his hands but hissed in pain when he felt them burning once he tried to take control of the borrowed magic.

"Sheik! Please listen! It's not safe-!" but Dude tensed and dodged when the magical cage began to solidify and chains materialized within it to restrain him.

Dude brought his hand up again once one of the chains had attached itself to his leg, effectively stopping his movement, but Sheik was stunned when the cage began to dissolve.

Sheik peered closer and narrowed his eyes once he saw that Dude was able to absorb the magic of the cage. So whatever magic he used would be useless!

Sheik jumped and spun around when Link suddenly screamed in pain again. Tears were running down his face but they disappeared behind the hand he had covering his nose and mouth but Sheik could see the blood running down his neck and in between his fingers.

The Sheikah spun back around and glared.

_Hurting Link is the last mistake he'll ever make. _

Sheik then noticed that Dude wasn't even looking at him. He had his eyes lowered to the ground before he closed them as his shoulders shook.

_Was that bastard was laughing at them…! _

Then all of a sudden, Dude's hand clutched into a fist before dropping to his side. The magical cage immediately sprung into action. It quickly repaired its missing sections before chains flew all around Dude and restrained him.

Sheik glanced back worriedly at Link as the magical cage made sure it's prisoner couldn't escape.

"Link…?" said Sheik but Link didn't seem to hear him. The Hero struggled to stay upright and Sheik could tell he was close to losing consciousness.

_He was in that much pain…_

It was all Sheik could do to hold back his fury but it was satisfying to see the attacker helpless for once.

The chains of the magical cage had wrapped around each of Dude's limbs, with his hands held high above him. His eyes were half closed, giving him an intimidating look as he gazed hard at Sheik, but was strangely quiet now.

The Sheikah was slightly taken back by it but then he remembered why the man was in that position to begin with.

"Bastard…! Let's see you dodge _this_!" growled the Sheikah before he brought his arm back and let a dagger fly at Dude.

* * *

The purple clothed man grumbled as he bent down and gathered some of the pages of the many ruined books that now littered the floor of the huge library. He had wrapped a piece of his clothing around his wounded shoulder to stop the bleeding but it still hurt like no tomorrow…

This was peasants work! Or maybe a butler or whatever but certainly not something someone of his stature would be doing! And damn his shoulder hurt! Where is that bastard! He said he would heal it!

But of course he's taking his sweet time. That bloody git. He didn't see him in here helping even though the escape of the meddlesome shadow walker was just as much his fault as it was his! Well, maybe he could have done a few things a little differently but whatever! He hated doing work! Almost as much as he hated pain!

He straightened and cursed before glancing around. No sign of anyone else either. What happened to the people that supposed to be helping him? Whatever, there was other things he could be doing right now. Like stop moving around so his shoulder won't hurt as much.

So, he strode away from the mess of pages and broken wood that covered the floor of that section of the library and walked toward the middle of it.

Now that he was able to get a good look at this place, he had to admit, it was pretty impressive.

Six levels towered above them, each with a long row of bookshelves that curved along the wall until reaching a ladder that lead to the next level. He noticed the polished dark cherry wood that was the bookshelves that weren't lying in shambles on the floor on the bottom level. Strange elegant golden lettering was craved all along the wood.

As he passed them, he noticed that all the bookshelves had this golden lettering along them. He paused at one of them and traced the lettering with his fingertips.

The wording was all the same thing, or at least the ones he'd seen so far. Good thing he knew Latin, something that had helped a great deal in rising to the top, especially when it involved magic. One of the many useful things that his mentor had taught him…

He paused, shunned for a moment. It had been a long time since he had thought of that old man. He shook his head quickly. That was a long time ago. No need to rile himself up over something that ended before his first rein.

He peered closer at the writing on the bookshelves.

…_Reservo panton a pone hic…preserve everything a pone here…a preservation spell that isn't attached to a specific target but allows anything that's placed within these shelves to be persevered as long as they stay there? The only ones powerful enough to do that are as easy to find as a needle in an ocean…unless you're a child…_

How did that man get a hold of them? And why in the world would they help someone like him! Darn it all…right when he figures something out about this guy, it just ends up creating more questions…

He continued on, now noticing the lime green carpets beneath him. He frowned at it. Not a color he would have chosen…but then again, he never did like any shade of green. He did have to admit though…if he had seen these carpets before running into that Hero and his wretched green tunic and cap that wasn't even _half _as stylish as his so many times then he probably would have hated the color green a lot earlier.

He finally reached the center of the huge library. He approached a dark cherry wood desk with many open books lying across its surface. It also had golden strands etched all along its sides but it was just fancy designs. A reoccurring theme in this place so far…the guy obviously has a thing for gold. He really couldn't say much about that though, because he wasn't much different when it came to purple.

"You plotting in that brain again?" asked a voice snickering behind him. He spun around, about to say the prepared rant he had been building on for the last hour or so but the words just died in his mouth when he saw the person that most definitely was not the Hooded Man.

Standing before him with his wretched green tunic and cap was the smirking Hero. He jumped away before jabbing a finger at him.

"You-! How did-! I will smite you right now! You irritating, insignificant cockroach that just won't die!" shouted the purple clothed man but paused when the hero just _laughed _at him. How dare he mock him!

"Really? _You irritating, insignificant cockroach that just won't die_? That's the best insult I've heard in ages under that amount of stress. You're getting better Vivi," said the Hero once he calmed down but continued to smirk.

"How dare-! Wait…the only one that calls me by that infernal nickname is…"

"Yeah, it's me," replied the Hero before reaching up and pulling off the cap and then the dirty blonde wig to reveal white hair that stuck up randomly in places. 'Vivi' peered closer and recognized the red eyes.

"What-! _Artemis_? What is wrong with you! Why would you walk up to me dressed like that! Do you _want _to die!" exclaimed 'Vivi'. Artemis rolled his eyes.

"Hey, it's not like I _chose _to wear this. Apparently Master Bastard just recently had a row with the real Hero of Twilight so he got so ticked that he purposefully summoned me to make me dress in this get up just so he could get a kick out of bossing me around while pretending that I'm him," said Artemis irritably before tossing the wig and cap into the desk.

"Lea should be on her way but she stopped by our spot first. Anyway though, we were sent to help you. So, let's get to work before I shrivel away into nothing," said Artemis before he noticed how his slightly shorter friend was holding his shoulder.

"You're hurt? I warned you to watch out for flying objects when you're practicing wind magic," said Artemis.

"That's not what happened! And I've been using magic at lot longer then you can image, so stuff it. I don't need you to tell me how to use my magic safely! And what is that sound?…Is that _you_? Oh, good grief," grumbled Vivi as he frowned when Artemis's belly have a loud groan. "Did that fat useless sack of bones not feed you again? The sun's about to set! How does that fat fool expect his servants to make him look good if their all mangy and sick from starvation?"

Artemis sighed before rubbing his stomach as if that would help the hunger his belly was loudly reminding him about.

"Gee thanks. Mangy and sick, huh? Didn't think I looked that bad. Oh, it's fine! I know you weren't targeting me," said Artemis as he laughed at the deflated look his shorter friend gave him. "That weird man with the hood called me over from the hallway earlier and told me to get help to clean a mess that…what did he say…? _A mess that overgrown child made_? I think that was it, but then he wanted to speak to Master Bastard," Artemis snickered at the scowl on the other's face.

"Overgrown child…we'll see about that," growled Vivi but then sighed and looked to the side. "I don't suppose you have…a potion for…well, you know. It's not that I need help or anything, I just don't want to rely on that git for anything," Artemis tilted his head, confused.

"Well, if you need a potion then sure. I'm sure I've got something that can help but you got to tell me what is wrong first," said Artemis.

"What? Why can't you just give me a potion?" grumbled Vivi.

Artemis laughed softly. He was used to his shorter friend's habit of being vague when asking for help purely because he wasn't used to it.

"Come on Vivi. There's no potion out there that can cure everything…or if there is then I've never seen or heard of it. If you don't tell me what's wrong then I won't know what to give you," said Artemis.

Vivi scowled, but it slowly turned into a pout.

"Fine, whatever! I was stabbed in…in the shoulder," said Vivi. Artemis's eye's widened at the unexpected answer.

"Stabbed? Were you attacked? Let me see it!" exclaimed Artemis angrily. Vivi was puzzled as to why Artemis suddenly became so angry but banished the cloth around his wound, mostly because he didn't want to show any kind of weakness in front of someone but then again…it was rather pointless when Artemis was going to see what was under the banished clothing now that he thought about it.

"Oh my Goddess! Who did this? Was it that weird man in the hood?" asked Artemis as he approached his shorter friend.

Vivi swatted at the hands that reached toward him.

"I don't need help! I mean-I do need help but wait, that's not what I meant-!" exclaimed Vivi but stopped when Artemis put his hand on his hip.

"Oh stop bringing such a baby about this Vivi! Don't give me that look. And don't even start with your '_I'm too good for anyone's help' _rubbish. If it bothers you that much then just think of it as your taking advantage of my kind heart, okay?" said Artemis casually.

Vivi could only just stand there stunned as Artemis went and carefully examined his wounded shoulder. Not too many people had the guts to say something like that him, at least those that weren't _blackmailing _him. But how many people would honestly try to convince someone to let them be helped and then turn around and use _just think of it as your taking advantage of my kind heart _as an example?

"That attacker did a real number on you, but some Red Chu Jelly should fix that right up though," muttered Artemis before stepping back and narrowing his eyes. "Was it that weird man in the hood? I don't like him one bit. Humph, someone's getting poisoned later."

Vivi couldn't help but grin at the dark demeanor of his…friendly acquaintance. He wasn't his friend. He didn't have friends! Didn't have any need for them either! But, it was nice to have someone around that he could actually talk to instead of the normal monsters or shadows whose only form of communication it seemed was a series of hissing or strange savage sounds.

He had only met the kid a few months ago and it seems his own attitude was rubbing off on him. There was a time when the kid was so innocent that just mentioning the act of hurting someone would make him gawk in horror at him but now look at him! Casually talking about poisoning someone as if it was an everyday thing to him!

It brought up a strange feeling in him…a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. He guessed he just wasn't used to having someone genuinely become protective of him.

"No, it wasn't him. But you should still try poisoning the bastard. It would save me the trouble of doing it myself, but the bastard was actually with me when the shadow walker suddenly stole the flow of my power and used it to teleport himself here. Then this big chase happened but he got away, which was totally that bastard's fault even though he blames me. How was I supposed to know he was going to steal the flow of my power? Whatever, I'll have my revenge soon!" exclaimed Vivi.

Artemis rolled his eyes, and was about to ask who this shadow walker was but suddenly they both heard shouting.

They swung around to see a girl running toward them, her long black hair swaying behind her.

"Artemis! Did you move our stuff?" asked the girl hurriedly once she reached them. Vivi rolled his eyes when he recognized the red eyes of this kid as well. Such a drama queen…

"Huh? No, I hadn't been in there since yesterday. Why what's wrong Lea?" asked Artemis worriedly.

"There gone! Everything! Except all that dust that keeps covering our place thanks to the wind magic that _he _keeps using near our spot!" exclaimed Lea angrily as she pointed a finger at Vivi.

"That hallway is the only spot that git lets me practice my wind magic you little brat! How times do I have to tell you that!" exclaimed Vivi angrily. Artemis sighed before stepping in between the glaring pair.

"Alright settle down guys. Did you move our stuff Vivi?" asked Artemis.

"Why would I take something that is useless to me? And where would I put them anyway? Up my sleeve or in my socks?" growled Vivi.

"How would any of our things fit in your socks?" asked Lea confused. Vivi rolled his eyes.

"The same way they would in my sleeve! Good grief girl. One would think you would know that because of the many things your kind has made," muttered Vivi as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. Lea gave him a death glare but suddenly a look of horror spread across her face.

"Oh, Goddess! If either of you didn't move them then someone else found it! Oh Goddess! What am I going to do! They know I have magic now!" exclaimed Lea, panicking.

Artemis quickly grabbed a hold of her shoulders and spun the panicking girl to face him.

"Lea, look at me. Okay, if anyone asks us, then we will tell them that we don't know anything about it. We've never been in this hallway until the weird man in the hood told us to come in here, okay? Don't worry, there's nothing that could prove us wrong in there," said Artemis firmly. Lea seemed to calm down but still shifted nervously.

"What about my tin box with all my flowers? You painted my name on it remember?" said Lea nervously.

"Just say it's not yours. We could past that off as a gift that someone may have planned to give you," said Artemis.

"And the drawings on the wall?" asked Lea hesitantly.

"Lea, we did those years ago, but if they ask then just deny it. There are weirdoes with obsessions everywhere so we could say it could be one of them," said Artemis. Lea took a deep breath before smiling up at Artemis.

"Thank goodness you're the smart type, Arty. What would I ever do without-"

"That is very touching and all that mushy rubbish but if you two want her magic to remain a secret then I suggest you leave now because I just sensed the Hooded Man warp in here," drawled Vivi.

Lea immediately began to panic again but Artemis put an arm around her shoulders and held her close before hurriedly turning to Vivi.

"I'll owe you big time but can you get her out of here, please? I'll do all the work here!" pleaded Artemis quietly.

Vivi scowled. That was so much trouble, and it would be so entertaining to watch the reaction of that bastard once he realizes that someone like _her _was in this place.

Then he glanced at Artemis and sighed dramatically when he saw the desperate look within his red eyes. It would be so boring if the kid decided not to talk to him anymore so he guessed he could let it slide just this once…

"Fine," muttered Vivi before extending a hand lazily. Artemis nodded in thanks and Lea gave him a small smile but Vivi just rolled his eyes before grasping the small pale hand that hesitantly approached him before dispersing into nothing while taking Lea with him.

Vivi materialized in the hallway right next to the warded door. Lea stepped away from him.

"Thank you," said Lea quietly.

"Yeah, whatever. I don't feel like explaining to the git why I just took you out of the special library so act like a fart and blow away," drawled Vivi, irritability wondering why she was suddenly giggling. He didn't say a joke so why was she laughing?

Lea giggled again before turning and…fell into the shadow? Did he just see that right? Well, he'd never seen that first hand before…

* * *

The dagger seemed to fly in slow motion as it sailed through the air. Sheik immediately summoned another dagger to his hand and got ready to throw it but paused slightly when instead of the resistance from when he expected Dude to start draining the power of the magical cage again, he simply closed his eyes and turned his face away from the Sheikah.

His dagger passed through the bars of the magical cage just when someone suddenly shrieked from somewhere to the left of him.

Sheik spun to his left to see Saria hurriedly raise her hands and vine's sprung up and one twisted up just in time to knock the flying dagger out of balance before impaling itself into another vine that was just to the right of Dude.

Dude's eyes snapped open when the magical cage began to collapse from around him as the vines ripped it apart until the chains restraining him up were broken, letting him drop to the floor.

Sheik turned back to see Dude struggle to his feet but then Saria suddenly dashed in front of him and run toward Dude. Sheik panicked and started to follow her, fearing for her safety, but a weak voice from behind him made him pause and turn.

Link seemed to be trying to say something but it came out in rasps as he coughed up blood. It tore at his heart but he couldn't do anything for him now, but he spun back around when he heard shouting and saw Saria confusingly gesturing that she didn't understand what Dude had said but once he locked sight with Sheik, he pivoted around and bolted into the closest hollowed log.

Saria immediately came running over looking furious but then caught sight of Link.

"Oh! That's what he-Sheik use your magic! Now! Use it to flush the cursed light magic out of his system!" exclaimed Saria.

Sheik didn't spare a second thought but run over to the fallen Hero's side and fell to his knees before gently laying Link down on his back.

The Sheikah placed his hands against the Hero's chest and felt each struggling breath from Link but really had no idea what he was supposed to be doing…

"Just fill him with your magic. Make sure it is the dominant force within him before you start pushing the foreign magic out because Link won't be able survive a inner battle right now," said Saria hurriedly as she settled herself on Link's other side.

Sheik nodded before taking a deep breath. He stressed his magic and guided it until it flowed within Link, filling every place that gave little to no resistance to its presence.

Desperate the fact that he was still rasping for breath and coughing up blood, Link didn't seem to be in as much pain as he was mere moments ago…

"_Eyra_," whispered Sheik. His magic seemed to ignite at the Sheikah command and began to invade every part within Link that gave the slightest bit of resistance, forcing the foreign magic back until finally forcing it out once it had no where to go.

Saria jerked back when something like gold vapor mixed with tiny red sparks suddenly rose from Link, making the Hero gasp in pain and arch his back but quickly dropped back down and lay motionless on the floor.

"He's fine. I thought it would be best if he rested so I put him in a sort of deep trance," said Sheik softly. He ran his hand down his face before glancing up and finally noticing that the sun was just about to set.

_This has been one hell of a day… _


	26. Chapter 26

Yeah, so I really don't have any good reason why this didn't get finished like a month ago when I had planned expect for a certain absurdly awesome funny show called Supernatural. I mean, how could I possibly write when there are episodes to be watched? But I finally got this done, so sorry for the wait!

* * *

Sheik slowly unwrapped the bandages that had been around Link's head before sighing in relief once he saw that the gash that had stretched across from the Hero's right temple to nearly cutting into his eye had disappeared along with the rest of his serious injuries. Thank Goddess when Saria and at least a dozen Red Fairies had healed him. That was just the start of the horrors that Sheik saw on Link's body once they had managed to bring him inside Saria's house.

There were cuts and bruises all over Link's chest and back as if someone had just walked up and beaten him. The worst part was that curse Link was under had left him with internal bleeding. They were lucky that so many Red Fairies were nearby or the Hero wouldn't have made it. The Sheikah knew very well that Dude had been no where near Link so that meant that the curse alone had done all the damage.

Sheik took a shaky breath as he covered his eyes.

_If Dude can create, cast and fire a curse that powerful at Link and then keep it active while he was still fighting me then by all rights…he could have easily taken us both out without breaking a sweat. Was it the old magic of the forest that kept him at bay then?_

Saria stood up and the Red Fairies all started to tiredly hover out of her house. Saria walked to the corner of her house and picked up a green blanket. Sheik didn't remember seeing that blanket in her house before…

Saria strode over to Link and laid the blanket over him before tucking it around his frame. She then gave Sheik a hard look before standing and walked swiftly out of her house. He knew that look didn't mean well for him…so he sighed and gave Link one last worried look before standing and following the Forest Sage out of the doorway.

"What were you thinking? Dude is not an enemy!" hissed Saria furiously once Sheik had walked outside. Sheik was stunned for a moment, not expecting the small child like girl to lash out at him but harden his gaze as he looked down at her.

"I know what I sensed Saria! The magic that had caused me so much pain in that mad chase before pushing me over a banister and making me brake my arm was the same magic I sensed within Dude!" exclaimed Sheik defensively.

"He's been coming here for ages to help us or just to visit! Even the Great Deku Tree remembered him! He's never done anything to hurt us!" exclaimed Saria angrily. Sheik sighed impatiently.

"I don't know what he's been doing over the years he's probably been coming here, but he's up to no good!" exclaimed Sheik. Milly frantically flew in circles around the shouting pair trying to calm the negative energy.

"How can you say that? You don't even know him!" exclaimed Saria. Sheik narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, don't I? Then explain to me why he avoids Link like the plague? Or when he is near him, Link suddenly collapses in pain? Or maybe if, by some chance, that pain is not his doing then why not tell me about it? Or perhaps when Link is laying bleeding on the floor, Dude tries to _run away _instead of helping like the person you are trying to make him out to be!" hissed Sheik. Saria's eyes widened.

"He-he could have just been nervous! Maybe he knew who really attacked Link!" exclaimed Saria. The shouting pair didn't even notice that several other fairies had joined Milly in trying to calm the hostile atmosphere that was developing around them.

"You cannot be serious! There was no one else in the area close enough to cause that kind of damage to Link! And the only thing Dude was trying to do is get away from me once he realized that he couldn't push me around easily!" exclaimed Sheik. He grinded his teeth in frustration, trying to figure out how a Sage of Legend could be fooled so easily but suddenly felt his anger start to slowly fade. It felt unnatural though, but glanced up and then noticed the dozen's of fairies that were hurriedly circling around them.

"You don't know the whole story! Something could have happened! Something that didn't involve Dude! We need to get his side of the story before we make assumptions!" shouted Saria.

Sheik closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was beginning to be difficult to stay angry but he would not let anyone control his emotions. He will have the last say in regarding his own actions, Goddess's dammit!

"I care not what any of you have to say on his behalf. But unless I see hard proof that he is the person you are making him out to be, then he'd best not come anywhere near myself or Link or I will kill him," said Sheik lowly before turning and stormed back into Saria's house.

Sheik walked up to Link and sat by his side. He gripped Link's sleeve with his right hand, mostly just to assure himself that he was still there. He absentmindedly ran his other hand along the edges of the single pink swirl of the soft white carpet beneath him as he strained his hearing and heard them fighting outside about his outburst.

_I know what I sensed. I will not let that man fool me._

He glanced back at Link's sleeping face. He started to tremble with anger again but then a realization suddenly hit him…

_If he has fooled them all then I cannot trust them. Fear does play tricks on the mind. It will make it easy for him to control them and maybe even turn them against us. But…what are we to do if The Hooded Man controls one of the Sage's?_

_

* * *

_

"Do try and _not _get stabbed by the target next time, yes? In fact, don't even let the target get away," said the Hooded Man when he had finished healing Vivi's wounded shoulder.

"Though I do suppose the one good thing about this whole mess is the fact that I now know that my ward is not as efficient as I had thought. I'll have to research the complex layout of light wards again. Oh, you and that boy get to work though," said the Hooded Man before turning and striding along the sickly green carpet and headed for the center of the huge library.

Vivi glared at his retreating back and then threw up his middle finger and jabbed it in the Hooded Man's direction as if that would cause him harm before spinning around and storming toward the ruined part of the huge library.

Vivi continued to fume as he stormed toward where he saw Artemis sitting on the floor ahead of him but then glanced down and growled when he noticed the sickly green carpet below him. If it wasn't the git talking down to him like some kind of disobedient child then it was this wretched carpet mocking him with it's horrid green color that reminded him of that heroic fool that's come back to ruin his plans, what, four times now? It was like everything was taunting him today!

Artemis looked up sharply when he heard a loud thumping noise but then rolled his eyes when he saw Vivi stomping his foot repeatedly into the sickly green carpet he was standing on.

"What did that carpet ever do to you?" asked Artemis as he went back to trying to piece together the few books that survived the violent gale earlier.

Vivi glared at the sickly green carpet before giving it one last good stomp and then strode over to where Artemis was squinting between two pages, trying to compare them.

"It exists. That's what it did to me. Now less yapping and more working! The deal was that I bust your girlfriend out of here and in return you do all the work. Yeah, I didn't forget about that," said Vivi before leaning casually against an overturned bookshelf that leaned against another one that laid on the floor beside Artemis.

"She's not my girlfriend! Why do you always say that Vivi!" exclaimed Artemis as he flushed and then started to wring the pages in his hands nervously. Vivi rolled his eyes and even made the extra effort to roll his head along with the movement before giving Artemis a pointed look.

"Good grief. You're such a pansy. Even the dumbest person in the world could tell that you have the hots for her. I don't know _why _but you must have your reasons," drawled Vivi before flicking his wrist to cause the wind to gather around him before closing his fist to grab the flow of it and swiftly stepped back and spun around, thrusting his fist toward the bookshelf that laid on the floor, making the bookshelf that sat on top of it lift upward while the one on the floor shot away from him. It skidded across the floor, making both Vivi and Artemis cringe at the sound before the continued flow of wind seemed to finally get under it and flip it until it finally stopped to sit upside down a few feet away but then both jumped when the bookshelf that had been sitting on top of it stopped defying gravity and finally crashed to the floor.

"What was the purpose for all that?" asked Artemis, finally braking the silence that consisted of them both staring at the mass of pages and books that had fallen out of the upside down bookshelf to join the disaster covering the floor. Vivi scowled at nothing in particular.

"I was tired of standing, but my attempt at making a makeshift bench didn't go as I had planned. Though I admit…it was a bit louder then I thought it would be…" muttered Vivi.

"Ya think?" asked Artemis as he returned Vivi's glare with a bored expression.

"It's this blasted light ward the git has over the place! It's messing up my power's restoration process and making it hard to control at times! So it's not my fault!" exclaimed Vivi as he pointed a finger at Artemis.

"Is that so?" asked a voice to his right. They both swung toward the voice and saw the Hooded Man leaning causally against the upside down bookshelf carrying two large shimmering red and blue books under his left arm while examining the fingernails of his other hand.

Artemis immediately faced the Hooded Man and bowed his head but Vivi scowled in his direction.

"What? Does your behind hurt from sitting in that soft plush chair of yours for, what, the last ten minutes or so?" drawled Vivi.

"No, it hurts because the thorn that is _you _seems to be forever in my side and no matter how many times I finally get rid of it, it seems to always find its way back there while somehow causing some kind of disaster along the way," said the Hooded Man calmly before pushing off the upside down bookshelf and approaching Vivi.

"Now, why pray tell, is one of my bookshelves shooting across the room like its part of a circus act? You were told to _clean _your mess, not make it _worse_," said the Hooded Man lowly.

Vivi trembled with anger as he clutched his hands into fists, looking like he'd love nothing more then to set the man in front of him ablaze with every flame known to man. But he took a deep breath to calm himself. He'd learned the hard way what good exploding had done him when concerning this git…

"I was just trying to speed the process along but obviously my attempt backfired, hence, why I didn't do it again," Vivi lied through his clenched teeth. The Hooded Man sighed.

"And here I thought you could at least clean something without causing some kind of catastrophe but I guess I gave you a little to much credit," muttered the Hooded Man before he turned to Artemis, who was looking up at him from his bowed position.

"And you…is this what you have to show for the amount of time you had to work? Obviously you are not taking this very seriously then. Well, if your going to be taking a page out of _his _book then you can stop when this place is spotless," said the Hooded Man.

Artemis's eyes widened before he started to tremble.

"B-but sir…I haven't eaten since Wednesday," said Artemis softly.

Vivi's eye's stopped mid roll as he processed what was just said.

_It's…Friday, isn't it? So the little smartass hasn't eaten in three days? What in the world did he do to upset walrus man this time? _

The Hooded Man lifted his head and looked down on Artemis before lifting his free hand to wave a finger at the boy but Vivi briefly noticed a leather arm band with a gold symbol etched into the top but the hand was dropped back to hide behind the black cloak he wore before Vivi could tell what it was.

_I've never seen that before…why is the git suddenly wearing leather around his hands I wonder? Or is it just that hand? _

"You should have thought about that before you started fooling around and wasting valuable time, and your Master will be notified about this, but as for you," said the Hooded Man as he turned his head toward Vivi's glaring face, "I shall be leaving for a day or two and if this place isn't in pristine condition when I return there will be hell to pay. For the both of you. Also, you'd best think about what you plan to do about the next temple, the Hero of Twilight will be heading there soon. And no, you cannot go around proclaiming your-so-called title or any such nonsense. I have enough to deal with at the moment without your attention seeking arse continually trying to blow our cover," Vivi closed his mouth and growled but stayed silent.

The Hooded Man then turned without another word and strode down the same path he came from but turned toward his right and disappeared behind a bookshelf.

"What's the use of being powerful if no one knows who you are? Whatever, we'll see who's on top when this whole charade is over," muttered Vivi before turning around to face Artemis.

The red eyed boy was holding his head in his hands but lifted it with a shaky breath. Vivi frowned when Artemis pulled a random book to him and opened it before setting it in front of him.

"What's gotten into you? I thought you didn't care about people's opinion of you," said Vivi nonchalantly as he walked back over to the fallen bookshelf and then faced his palms downward and propelled himself upward to sit on the smooth wooden back. Artemis sighed and rubbed his right temple as he dragged back the open book Vivi's gust of wind had blown away from him.

"I don't care. I'm just getting a migraine, but this always happens when I don't eat for long periods of time…I'll be fine though. I've survived longer without food," muttered Artemis as he went back to work.

Vivi was stunned. Trying to piece together at least four to six hundred books was not something one should do with a migraine. Especially when it concerned that git…

_Why did that git have to hear me moving that blasted block of wood? Well…actually I think something would have been wrong with him if he hadn't heard it, but still! This never would have happened if he just minded his own business and let us work! Or him, let him work! _

"I'll be back," said Vivi shortly before storming past Artemis. The boy sighed again as he watched Vivi storm down the hallway until he finally seemed to notice the sickly green carpet beneath him. He stopped abruptly and stared down at it and Artemis was starting to worry that something was wrong until Vivi suddenly shouted out in frustration and proceeded to stomp on the sickly green carpet a few times before dispersing into nothing.

Artemis smiled softly at his shorter friends actions. He really didn't know what was going on between the Hero of Twilight and Vivi but it was amusing to watch the outcome. He winced when a wave of pain coursed through his head. He needed to get to work before it got any worse…

* * *

Sheik refused to be moved from his spot beside Link and would snarl at anyone that tried to force him to.

_It's always the same excuses, saying I don't know the bastard or that I'm overcomplicating the issue! How is the fact that death was _this _close to claiming Link overcomplicating the issue!_

He glanced back at Link's face when he saw movement but it was only one of the Red Fairies that stayed behind nestle herself deeper into his dirty blonde hair. His eyes traveled lower and saw that the rest of the six or so Red Fairies were sitting up and looking curiously up at him from various parts on top of the green blanket that covered Link's body. His gaze softened when he looked down at them. He knew that half the reason that they were here was to try and calm him down, but their presence also helped Link heal much faster and that was the only reason he hadn't shooed them away already.

"Sheiky!" exclaimed a sudden shrill voice at the doorway, making the Sheikah jump. He let out the breath he was holding when Abby suddenly whizzed through the room and attached herself to his nose.

"The burial's starting soon! Hurry!" said Abby as she grabbed a hold of his blonde bangs and pulled at them.

"I'm sorry Abby, but I can't leave Link vulnerable. To much is at stake," said Sheik softly. Of all the people in here…Abby would be the one he would trust the most at the moment but who knows what will happen if he leaves? That bastard might be waiting just for that to happen.

"You're worried about Linky? I'll watch over him then! I've already paid my respects to my brothers and sisters…I was helping you see. That's why I'm done when everyone else is just starting to show up," said Abby sadly.

Sheik sighed and then glanced back at Link's sleeping face. The Hero still hadn't move a muscle, but he wasn't showing any signs that he was in pain either.

"I hear that you had a run in with Dude. Well, I don't think he's a bad guy but you don't have to worry, okay? I'll come and tell you if anything happens! You can count on me!" said Abby proudly and then whizzed around his head once before flying over to Link and sat on top of his cap. She waved her hands at him before chatting with the Red Fairy that was nestled in Link's hair.

Sheik frowned. He didn't want to leave…but he had to pay his own respects to the fairies. There were plenty of times he had relied on them in the past.

"Just a few minutes Abby, alright? I'll be right back," said Sheik softly before standing and stretching his legs. He then walked toward the doorway but stopped once he walked just outside of it before turning to face it.

Raising a hand, Sheik guided his magic until its spidery strands surrounded the small hut and encased it with a thin ward. It wouldn't really hurt anyone, but that wasn't its purpose anyway. He may no longer trust the children of the forest but he certainly didn't wish them any harm so this spidery ward would merely prevent anyone from entering and would alert him should anyone force their way in.

Sheik sighed before turning but suddenly froze once he noticed the environment around him.

_I've never seen so many of them…_

Sheik walked slowly forward and gazed at the hundreds of fairies that swarmed around the small village. Many were busying themselves with helping the children of the village but most actually seemed to just be flying in circles.

The Sheikah tilted his head as he looked around, now noticing just how diverse the fairy race really was. Swirling around each house were the Red Fairies as they sang a slow song that was foreign to him, but as he peered closer, his eyes widened when he saw that among them their seemed to be different sizes, shapes, Goddess…even their aura connected to their magic was different!

_I didn't realize the fairies were so similar to us when it came to diversity…do they all have different abilities? Or perhaps talents? Maybe their magic matches the environment they live in? Goddess, maybe the fact they live in different parts of the world is the reason there are so many kinds of them! I bet Link would love this, he probably already-_

Sheik blinked through the excitement that was coursing through his mind. He then noticed how hard it was to form a solid thought before the sudden urge to jump for joy for no apparent reason would try to replace it.

He backed away, shaking his head to clear it and then jumped once several fits of giggles were heard around him. He looked up and saw dozen's of fairies surrounding him, all of different origins. The Sheikah had to close his eyes and focus his train of thought and tighten his grip on his emotions as they threatened to spiral out of control.

"Is our magic hurting your head? We're sorry! Really! But we have to! Queen's order's!" exclaimed what Sheik would guess was a male fairy for once right next to his left ear. The Sheikah creaked a ruby eye open to glance toward the voice and immediately saw dark purple. The fairies hair and outfit was all shades of purple as well as the light that shone from his body.

"Hi! What's your name? Are you a dark wielder? Or maybe some kind of dark Hyrulian? Oh! Your eyes are red! Are you a Garo? You sure have a weird aura for a Garo though. Do you-"

"Tael! Shut up! Good Goddess, he can't even think straight right now much less with you yapping his ear off!" shouted another, more feminine voice next to his right ear. Sheik creaked his other eye open and glanced at the new voice and saw yellow. Her short blonde hair and outfit was rather tomboyish as she bobbed near Sheik's face.

"But-but sis! I was just trying to be friendly! He's the only one we met like him in Hyrule!" whined Tael as he bobbed over near his sister.

The yellow fairy rolled her eyes before facing Sheik, who was just staring at them in stunned silence.

"Now look what you did! He's totally frozen inside! Now I have to go and fix him, geez," muttered the yellow fairy before she backed up a few feet and then went whizzing forward to bump her shoulder right in between Sheik's eyes, making him jump out of his daze.

"Right. Now that you're not in your own little world anymore, how about you tell me what you're up to, huh? I certainly didn't expect any foreigners to be at our burial," said the yellow fairy as she put her hands on her tiny hips and stared him in the eyes. Sheik blinked owlishly before shaking his head.

"Ah, I was…I was on my way to pay my own respects to your deceased kin. I owe them that much for I have relied on them many times during the past," replied Sheik finally.

The yellow fairy opened her mouth to say something but suddenly Tael flew in front of her and bobbed excitably right in front of his face, startling him.

"Oh! That's so cool! You're in the wrong place though, but that's ok! We can take him right sis? Right?" exclaimed Tael as he spun around and faced his sister again and clasped his hands together in front of him before giving her his best puppy dog look. The yellow fairy sighed as she shook her head.

"Oh fine. You seem like a decent guy and you remind me of someone…anyway, my names Tatle. Nice to meet you and all that, so yeah, let's get going," said Tatle before spinning around and whizzing away. Tael giggled as he followed, and Sheik bolted after them and couldn't help but grin.

_Even though each kind of fairy seems to have a different kind of magical core, once they are all together, their magic just molds together and creates the most intoxicating feeling I've ever experienced. No wonder they are so intone with the flow of life, they are basically a mobile part of it!_

Sheik had to narrow his eyes and squint to make sure he didn't lose sight of his fairy guides because of the rapidly growing number of fairies that were occupied the small village. He was so distracted that he didn't even notice the upcoming pond until he almost fell right into it, but quickly leapt in the direction he was already falling in and avoided landing in the water by rolling onto one of the small platforms that stood inside the water.

The Sheikah looked up and grinned as Tael laughed at him from near the entrance before speeding in the tunnel that lead into Woody's groove. He leapt from platform to platform before racing into the tunnel himself and was startled when he ran right through a wall of fairies.

They scattered as he passed them but he sighed relived when they all started to fly along side him, giggling the whole way as if playing some sort of game.

He skidded to a halt once he entered Woody's groove and could only just stare at the sight before him.

It seemed the spirits of the forest were rather close to the fairies for they danced and sang along with the hundreds and thousands of fairies that took up every ounce of space to where Sheik really didn't see much of his surroundings except for Woody's face.

The giant tree guardian seemed to be humming along with whatever the fairies were singing and swayed slightly so his branches were creating an almost hypnotic notion as the light from the different kinds of fairies that sat along them swayed along with his movements.

Sheik couldn't stop the smile that spread along his face and started to listen closely to what was being sung. He tilted his head slightly when heard something among the singing voices. The sound was defiantly not someone singing yet it flowed perfectly with what was being played.

_Is it a flute…? No, I wouldn't be able to hear it if it was…but it has to be something like it…_

He jumped and chuckled as a Red, Green and Lavender fairy all suddenly attached themselves to his blonde bangs and started to swing back and forth as they waved at him.

He looked up and the mysterious sound was forgotten when he saw the night sky glow as thousands of fairies and forest spirits danced around each other looking like stars that shone like an everlasting rainbow.

Sheik was shaken from his daze when something hit his right temple. He glanced over and saw Tatle flying an inch away from his face.

"Hey! I thought you were going to pay your respects? You can sight see afterward! So come on!" shouted Tatle but her voice seemed like a whisper compared to the voices of song all around him.

"Ah, Sheik. I thought you would come. Are you taking care of him Tatle? Good, go on then. The burial sight is beyond my groove. And stay with him Tatle, understand? He won't be able to withstand this raw exposure to our magic for much longer, so make sure he makes it back to Saria's house," said Woody before continuing to hum.

Sheik heard perhaps a few words out of that sentence before the continuous song revolving all around him began to make his head spin.

He was rapidly losing control of his emotions and he couldn't even remember why the name "Saria" was raising this feeling of anger within him.

_Why was I angry? Why am I even here…? Should I be singing? I don't know the song though…_

Sheik was shaken form his daze again when Tael bumped into his left temple.

"Hurry! We got to get you away from here before you go totally crazy!" exclaimed Tael before he and Tatle grabbed a hold of his blonde bangs and pulled. Sheik blinked, not understanding why such an atmosphere would be harmful in any way but followed the fairies lead.

They lead him passed Woody's huge trunk and into another part of the Lost Woods. The farther they got from Woody, the more Sheiks' head started to clear.

"What…? What was that? What just happened?" asked Sheik faintly as he pushed a branch aside. A tiny lavender head suddenly popped into his vision from on top of his shawl.

"You were starting to fall under the allurement our magic," said the lavender fairy as she held on to a piece of his blonde hair to hang upside down near his face. He noticed the Green and Red fairy from earlier chasing Tael around him while Tatle lead the way.

"Allurement? Why were you all singing anyway?" asked Sheik curiously.

_I didn't think fairies could allure people…Well, at least not like in the sense I'm used to…_

"Well, the Ballad of Heaven isn't meant to make people all crazy in the head, it just does that to anyone that doesn't have a close link to the cycle of life. We are singing it because we need its power to sustain us when you and the Hero of Twilight go back on your guy's journey," said the lavender fairy.

"Ballad of Heaven? And it has the power to sustain all of you while we are gone? Who in the world could have written a song of that magnitude?" asked Sheik amazed.

_How can a song be strong enough to keep the majority of the fairy race alive when the Goddess Farore is dying?_

"The same way the Goddess does silly! And of course her mate would be strong enough to create a song to duplicate the power of her presence. The thing is though…it will only work as long as the Goddess herself is still with us," said the lavender fairy softy.

"Her mate? The Goddess Farore has a mate? Why isn't he helping us! Surely someone of his caliber could cleanse a temple or two!" exclaimed Sheik. The lavender fairy righted herself and flew an inch away from his face and pointed a tiny finger at him.

"Because he doesn't have the time! In case you haven't noticed, the world is falling apart! My kin are not the only ones suffering you know. He's doing his part, ok? No one is slacking," said the lavender fairy lowly.

Sheik frowned. He could tell by the tone of her voice and the defensive stance she was taking that Farore's mate was someone close to her.

"Forgive me. I hadn't realized the magnitude of the situation. Is he a friend of yours?" asked Sheik.

He held up his palm, giving her an apologetic look. She looked hard at him for a moment before sighing and fluttered down to sit onto his hand.

"He's a friend of a lot of people but none of us know a whole lot about him. He's been around a long time. Knows a lot but won't share unless it's to help someone or if it's just interesting," said the lavender fairy before turning to watch the red and green fairy chase Tael around Sheik.

"Is he here in the forest?" asked Sheik. During a war like this, the mate of one of the Three is definitely someone he wanted as an ally.

"Well of course! He's the one that had to start the Ballad of Heaven otherwise it wouldn't be strong enough to sustain all of us," said the lavender fairy. Sheik nodded.

_It makes sense. Of course being the mate of Farore would come with perks. I wonder if Farore wrote the Ballad of Heaven for her mate?_

"What is your name?" asked Sheik.

_I can't quite place it, but what I sense from her aura isn't like any fairy I've met so far…_

"Just call me Fuchsia. What's yours?" asked Fuchsia.

"I am Sheik. I think your name fits you, though I can't help but notice that you seem a little different from your kin. What kind of fairy are you?" asked Sheik. Fuchsia tilted her head before giggling. She jumped into the air and hovered a few inches from his palm.

"Bet you haven't seen this before either," said Fuchsia mysteriously.

She started to glow before whizzing behind his head and suddenly Sheik felt a weight settle on his shoulders. He looked up into a face of a grinning child as she leaned on his head. Her bright lavender eyes shone gleefully as she giggled again at the stunned look on Sheiks face. She swiped a piece of her fuchsia hair away from her face before bringing a hand down to flick Sheik's nose.

The Sheikah jumped out of his daze, but still was having a difficult time getting passed the fact that a fairy no bigger then his pinky was now the size of a Hyrulian child.

"How-how did you do that?" asked Sheik. Fuchsia just laughed and patted Sheiks head before she arched her back and spread her wings.

Sheik's eyes widened at the sight of them. The wings of a fairy have always been too small for anyone to see. Even those like him, but Fuchsia's wings weren't like what he had expected.

Unlike the sheer almost bug like wings he had always imagined a fairy to have, in their place was…light?

_Their not even all purple! Good Goddess, it's like…like their not made of anything! Just…blue, pink, red, white, violet, orange, green, and all mixed together. Wings made of pure light…_

"Your wings are beautiful, but not what I expected them to be. Do all fairies have this ability to change their size?" asked Sheik.

Fuchsia grinned before hovering in front of him as he continued to follow Tatle. He turned his gaze to look at her wings as they beat to keep her airborne, though he really couldn't tell if they were flapping smoothly like the wings of a bird or fast like that of an insect.

"Nope. My aunties are the only ones able to do stuff like this. It's kinda hard to stay in my smaller form because this is actually my really size but I have to because my real size requires alot of magic to stay stable," said Fuchsia before she tilted her head and suddenly spun around.

"Oh, we're almost there! Get ready, okay? The feel of magic is going to be way different there," said Fuchsia cautiously and then flew ahead to join Tatle. Sheik quickened his pace to keep up and then noticed that Tael and the green and red fairy were huddled together near Tatle.

_What am I getting ready for? Is it going to be like when I approached Woody?_

Sheik frowned as he wondered what was bothering the fairies until a strong presence of depression suddenly hit him. He stumbled at the sudden sheer force of it before pushing a branch out of his way but suddenly froze.

Before him were hundreds of fairies and forest spirits but the atmosphere was nothing like it had near Woody. They were all hovering above a huge open field chanting a song that brought such an intense depressive feeling within Sheik that he was sure if Fuchsia hadn't warned him of its upcoming presence that he probably would have started bawling the moment he felt it. Sheik started when Fuchsia suddenly sat on top of his shoulders again. She leaned forward and smiled sadly down at him.

"Stay focused now. Just because the feel of the magic is different here doesn't mean it won't affect you anymore," said Tatle as she flew up to him and settled herself on his head.

Sheik took a deep breath and then walked forward as Tael and the red and green fairy flew off to join a group of fairies gathered near the center of the huge open field. The feeling of sadness grew more intense the closer he got to the fairies chanting at the center.

"What are they singing now?" asked Sheik softly as he glanced around.

Tatle and Fuchsia looked at each other before Tatle sighed.

"We don't know what it's called. The one who wrote it never got the chance to name it but was able to teach it to Farore's mate so he left it unnamed but taught us its meaning. It's meant to sooth the soul and allow it to pass on even during a time of great sorrow," said Tatle softly.

Sheik frowned and glanced around again at the families that were forced apart because of this disaster.

"I don't understand how this song could sooth a soul when it brings so much sadness. Such a feeling would drive a soul even deeper into despair, would it not?" asked Sheik.

Fuchsia chuckled softly before leaning down to look at him.

"Yes it would. But you see, what this song does is not get rid of the growing despair within them all but draws it out instead, so the spirits of the deceased can be at peace and move on. The feeling that you are fighting right now, the one that is trying to make you miserable is the feelings of despair that the song is drawing out of everyone that is here. I'll teach you the words, okay? As long as you sing along, it'll help you out too," said Fuchsia. Sheik nodded.

_Not much of a singer but I'll take whatever I can get. Who knows…this song might be useful later…_

* * *

Abby laughed as she tickled her friend from on top of Link's head. They rolled around laughing but suddenly they froze when they heard a groan. They looked at each other just when Link suddenly turned his head to the side.

Abby and her friend went tumbling down to the floor but Abby quickly flew into the air and looked down at the Hero but saw he was still asleep. He was muttering in his sleep and he turned his head to the other side of them.

"The Hero is dreaming. I wonder what of?" asked Abby's friend curiously as she flew up to hover beside her.

"I don't know, Naida," said Abby but then looked down when she saw movement and then noticed how he was clutching the materiel of the green blanket, pulling it closer to his face while dislodging the Red Fairies that were nestled all along it.

They all flew into the air and looked curiously down at the dreaming Hero.

"Well, at least he's looking much healthier now," said Naida.

"Yeah, I hope it's a pleasant dream. He sure deserves one since the Goddess's only know the nightmares that are heading his way soon…" muttered Abby.

"What should we do?" asked one of the other Red Fairies as she approached Abby and Naida.

"Yeah, I haven't paid my respects to my brethren yet," said another.

"I think we've done all we can for the Hero so everyone head for the burial grounds, okay?" said Naida before the group of Red Fairies nodded and headed out of Saria's house. Naida was about to follow but noticed that Abby whizzed back down to sit on Link's chest that was covered with the green blanket.

"Abby? You're not coming?" asked Naida when she flew over to hover near Abby. Abby shook her head.

"Nah, I paid my respects already and besides, I promised Sheiky that I would watch over Linky. You go with our sisters, okay Naida?" said Abby.

Naida quickly wrapped herself around Abby.

"And leave you here all by your lonesome? No way! I'll wait with you. I can just go when Sheik gets back," said Naida as she hugged Abby.

Abby smiled gratefully at her friend and was about to say something when Link suddenly muttered in his sleep.

"What did he say?" asked Naida. Abby shrugged before flying into the air and hovered closer to Link's face.

Naida followed just when Link pulled the green blanket even higher and snuggled his face into it.

"Awww, that's just adorable! Is that his blanky? I never took the Hero as the kind of guy to have a blanky, but it's still cute," cooed Abby. Naida frowned though.

"No, Saia gave it to him. She was holding it when they came back from whatever happened with Dude. Sheik put the Hero in here and Saria helped clean him up before covering him with that blanket," said Naida. Abby looked at her in surprise before looking back at Link.

"But, then it's not Saira's either right? Whose is it then?" asked Abby. Naida shrugged but then they both jumped when Link mumbled something else.

They looked at each other.

"Did he just say…abbas? What does that mean?" asked Naida.

"No idea…but its getting kinda weird. I need to tell Sheiky," muttered Abby.

* * *

Sheik kneeled on the ground with his head bowed. Fuchsia had shrunk back to her small size and hovered beside Tatle toward his right, talking softly with others who had lost their families.

He straightened and started to hum the song Fuchsia had taught him. He had to agree, whoever wrote this song knew how to bring peace to those who heard it. It was a strange feeling. Like he still felt the sadness within him but it was like the magic of the song was engulfing him with this sense of neutrality. Just letting him flow along with his emotions but would never let a single one become dominate.

Sheik was pretty sure that full on singing would be the must effective but humming was doing him just fine for now.

He nodded his head with the words he was humming within his mind but this strange need was starting to get to him. Like he really needed to be somewhere…but where? He couldn't think of a single reason why needed to leave this place until a memory flashed before him.

_Sapphire eyes. Who do I know with eyes like that…?_

He focused and tried remembering the face that went with those eyes. He saw green. A lot of green. Was this guy obsessed with it? But then he tensed when this faced laughed.

_I know him…I…I should be with him. Why am I not there now?_

Worry started to corrode his mind but suddenly it started to fade just as quickly, being replaced with that strong sense of neutrality.

Sheik sighed. Everything was alright, he needn't be worried. What could possibly be wrong? So, he just closed his eyes and continued to hum the song.

* * *

Abby whizzed into Woody's groove and rammed right into someone, making her stumble in the air before a hand caught her.

"In a hurry Abby? May I ask why?" asked a familiar voice.

Abby looked up into deep blue eyes and blinked confused for a moment, thinking that Link had somehow gotten up and beaten her to Woody's groove but the bleach blonde hair immediately gave him away.

"Oh! Sorry Dude. I was looking for Sheiky because Linky was-um, actually Sheiky probably wouldn't be very happy if I told you so I'm just going to go find him. I'll talk to you later, okay?" said Abby hurriedly before whizzing passed him.

Dude tilted his head as he watched her speed up to Woody's face and asked where Sheik was before whizzing toward the burial grounds. He turned to glance at the entrance to Woody's groove.

"So he's not there with him anymore…" muttered Dude before swiftly walking toward the entrance, smiling at everyone who waved at him but kept up his fast pace.

* * *

Abby sped through the part of the Lost Woods until she finally reached the burial grounds. She quickly peered through the mass of her kin surrounding the place before finally catching sight of Sheik standing near the center.

She whizzed straight toward him and quickly attached herself to his blonde bangs.

"Sheiky! I thought you said you were going to be a few minutes!" exclaimed Abby.

Sheik tilted his head, confused.

"What do you mean? A few minutes for what?" asked Sheik dully. Abby gaped at him until she realized what he was humming.

"Hey! Stop humming that! It's not letting you feel!" exclaimed Abby. Sheik raised an eyebrow.

"I feel just fine," said Sheik. Abby huffed before flying a few inches from his face and went speeding forward to ram into his forehead, making him pause.

"You need to look after Link!" exclaimed Abby.

Sheik had just been giving her a dull look but that name suddenly sparked something within him and suddenly all of his recent memories surfaced.

_What in the world…? How long have I been out here?_

"Please take me to Link, Abby," said Sheik lowly. The Red Fairy didn't hesitate and sped back toward Woody's groove while Sheik went racing after her.

Fuchsia turned to watch him leave and grinned while Tatle scowled.

"Woody told me to watch over him. I better not get in trouble…" muttered Tatle. Fuchsia just laughed.

"Of course you won't, Tatle. The whole point of asking you to watch him in the first place was to make sure he made it back to Saira's house. He's heading back there now and should be fine with Abby leading him, so don't sweat it," said Fuchsia before turning back to see Sheik disappear into the Lost Woods.

"I wonder if he'll get the hints and just go for what he wants instead of dragging it out like the last time?" muttered Fuchsia. Tatle gave her a confused look but the lavender fairy just giggled before racing after the Sheikah. Tatle sighed and then sped after her, muttering about how no one ever told her what was going on.

* * *

Dude walked along the path leading out of Woody's groove until he reached the small pond in front of it. He glanced at Saria's house that stood not far ahead of him.

Fairies of all kinds of origins and colors swarmed around the village, covering it with their magic as they sung the Ballad of Heaven. Many circled him, giggling and asking if he needed help but he merely shook his head and said he was fine.

He walked around the pond and up to Saria's doorway but paused. He could sense the ward that all but hissed at his close proximity, but didn't attempt to harm him in any way. He tried to peer inside but the glossy ward prevented a clear view.

"It's been a long time since I tried this," muttered Dude softly as he pulled out an emerald ocarina. He smiled softly down at it, admiring the gold triangle insignias carved into the sides.

"What's up Dude? Oh! Are you going to play for us again?" exclaimed Naida as she stopped from dancing with her sisters that flew around Saria's house to fly down to his level. Dude smiled softly, but shook his head.

"No. This is another song. Its…different then what you all are used to me playing but pay it no mind. It will not disrupt the magic of the Ballad of Heaven," said Dude. Naida bobbed around his head excitedly.

"Really? Play it! Play it! I want to hear this new song!" exclaimed Naida.

Naida impatiently flew around Dudes head, but missed the quick glance he shot at the spidery ward that still hissed at his close proximity.

"Naida. This song doesn't always perform the desired affect that I want and besides, your sisters need your support. If you really wish to hear it then I promise I'll play it for you later, alright?" said Dude.

Naida's wings drooped sadly but she nodded, understanding. He gestured for two other fairies and suddenly Naida was laughing again as two of her Red sisters came dancing up to her before pulling her back with the rest of them.

Dude watched them leave before turning back to the spidery ward. He peered closer again and raised a hand toward it.

He heard the Sheikah's magic crackle in warning before the glossy ward quickly began to solidify, looking like a real thick spider web. Dude raised an eyebrow as he set his hand against the new material of the ward and was impressed to find that it only looked like a spider web but had the strength and texture of something much stronger.

He suddenly froze when he heard a groan. He saw movement and realized the new solid spider web like ward had formed tiny holes. He leaned against it and peered inside.

"Huh…so, that's where it went. I'm sure no one will mind a quick visit," muttered Dude to himself. He then lifted the emerald ocarina to his lips and started to play.

* * *

Sheik was racing through the Lost Woods at break neck speed, chasing the Red fairy that sped just ahead of him.

_I can't believe it! Goddess dammit! I wouldn't have left if I knew the environment would affect me this much!_

Even now the intoxicating magic was trying to take away the worry swarming around his mind but he kept a firm hold on it. Letting himself fall into this false peace would only make him forget what was really making him worry to begin with!

Abby finally reached Woody's groove, and Sheik paid the forest spirits no mind when they tried to calm him. She paused at the center for a moment, as if she was confused about something but she seemed to snap out of it quickly before speeding down toward the exit of Woody's groove.

Once they burst out of the entrance, Sheik felt cold when he noticed that his ward had solidified.

_Someone tried to get to Link…!_

He didn't even notice Abby staring confusedly at the spider like ward before he all but threw his magic into his ward and ripped it down. He rushed inside and almost fainted from relief when he saw Link seemingly fast asleep and snuggled into that green blanket around him.

The Sheikah fell to his knees beside Link and quickly stressed his magic to make sure nothing was hurting him from a distance. He sighed, satisfied that Link was safe but then narrowed his eyes once he glanced back toward the doorway of Saria's house and at the remains of his fallen ward.

_Someone had tried to force their way in here…my ward would have just sparked a warning to anyone else. But why didn't I feel it alert me? Are these songs that they are singing so powerful they can block the flow of my own magic from reaching me?_

"Sheik," said a soft voice from behind him. He turned to it and did a double take when he saw Dude leaning up against the wall of Saria's house.

_Was he there the whole time…? Not possible. I would have noticed him. He must have teleported when I tore down my ward!_

Sheik had to pause, confused, for a moment though, as Dude didn't look like he had the last time they had met. Still the same dark brown pants and green shirt, but his aura…it shone so brightly that it was almost blinding. He was sure anyone could see Dude's aura as of now.

As stunning as it was to see someone's aura come bursting out of its seams, Sheik really didn't care at the moment.

The Sheikah had his daggers out and posed before he even fully faced Dude. His opponent quickly put his hands up.

"I don't have any kind of weapon on me or any kind of curse or what not that I'm planning to use, so no need to be rash, alright?" said Dude calmly. Sheik growled, glaring daggers at the man in front of him.

"You have some nerve saying that to me. I don't want to hear any more excuses. The only reason you're not dead already is because you had a clear shot at Link but you didn't take it. What are you planning?" asked Sheik lowly. Dude opened his mouth to reply just when Saria burst through the doorway.

She took one look at them and narrowed her eyes before raising her hands, causing vines to rise near her out side and ready to strike.

"This is not happening! Sheik you have the story all wrong, I know you do-" started Saria but Sheik just rolled his eyes, though he remained facing Dude.

"Oh please. Save me the grief. I don't believe a word of it. Now, as for you," said Sheik as he jabbed a dagger toward Dude, "You have ten seconds to explain before you die."

Saria looked ready to explode but Dude cut her off with a sharp look.

"Would you at least agree that this is not the place to have this conversation?" asked Dude.

"Where would you have us go?" growled Sheik.

"Where ever you like. It doesn't matter to me," said Dude and then finally straightened from the wall he was leaning on. He paused, looking down at the sleeping Hero and Sheik tensed. The Sheikah was still blocking a direct path to Link but that didn't help his nerves all that much. After all, this guy was apparently attacking a Goddess. He was sure it wouldn't be all that hard to reach Link if the guy really tried.

Sheik couldn't quite decipher the look on Dudes face before he looked up and continued to walk toward the doorway of Saria's house, staying as far from the Sheikah as he could.

"This is stupid! Dude, come on! We all know-!"

"No Saria. You of all people know what is at stake here," said Dude sternly and then turned to face Sheik again.

"We are settling this now. Once and for all."


End file.
